Iridescent
by Mrs. Ferb Fletcher-inator
Summary: Beckett and the team celebrating the close of her mom's case. Bracken was behind bars, everything was perfect. Until, they know how to finally get rid of her- by breaking her family. It's a race against time for Beckett and Castle to stop them before it's too late and they lose the other half of their team.
1. Prologue

"Don't you understand, Castle?" Beckett was too angry to let tears fall. "It's my fault!"

Castle brought his finacé into a hug, "Kate, you,can't honestly be blaming yourself for all this."

Beckett pushed herself out of his grip by placing two hands firmly on his chest, "How can you stand there and say that?" Her narrowed eyes may have scared him if he didn't know how vulnerable she was right now. "Bracken doesn't want me dead, Castle, he wants me to suffer."

"Then all of this is his fault." Castle tried reasoning with her, but he knew she wouldn't budge. Hell, he'd probably have thought th same thing if he was in her spot.

Beckett sighed with a shaky breath and slowly sat down in her chair. "He won, Castle, he's behind bars and he still won. They killed me the way he knew would really kill me more than death. He broke my family."

"Listen to me, Beckett, we will find them. They're strong and hang in there for us to save them."

"This is Bracken, Castle, Bracken. He's gotten away with murder before. The only reason they haven't killed them yet is because they want us all to be tortured. I don't even know where yo start." She pulled a hand through her tangled hair.

"Exatly," Castle nodded in determination, "We start from the beginning."

* * *

**Okay, so I've been working on this for a while and have roughly the next three chapters written so I decided to post the prologue. **

**This isn't just a Caskett story and it's not just a Ryan and Esposito story. It's a story about the four being a family. I really think we need more of that both in the fanfiction world and the show.**

**Please leave reviews because I worked really hard on this story. It's my most professional story yet, I mapped it out, I've done like ten drafts of each chapter and I've already done so much research. I'm proud of this and I would really love to read what you guys think. **


	2. Here Comes The End

Beckett smiled as she saw Ryan and Esposito enter The Old Haunt. Esposito had been telling Ryan something funny it seemed by the way that Ryan was laughing. She smiled peacefully for what seemed like the first time in years.

Her family was together and her mother had gotten the justice she deserved. And Castle had decided to celebrate this victory with drinks.

Castle turned his head towards the direction that Beckett was looking in. His face lit up when he caught Ryan's eye and the detective waved. "The boys are here." Castle motioned for their waitress to start bringing out the drinks.

Ryan and Esposito sat at the opposite side of the table from Castle and Beckett. "Glad you could join us." Castle noted their tardiness.

Ryan laughed as he slid into the booth, "Sorry, guys, Sarah Grace wouldn't let me leave."

"You think you had to wait? I had to sit on his couch for a half hour while Mr. Mom put her to sleep." Esposito complained half heartily with a smile.

Beckett smiled leaning forward, "How is our beautiful niece?" Beckett hadn't been this happy since her mother's death and now that she finally nailed Bracken, nothing could bring her down.

She loved the way Ryan's bright blue eyes lit up when he talked about his daughter, maybe that's half the reason she asked. "She is just perfect, she started crawling and has been trying to get into everything."

"Wait, you're forgetting to tell them about the funniest story yet, bro." Esposito's smile turned to laughter after he swallowed his beer.

"No, this was not funny at all. I have never been more scared in my life, mind you." He grumbled with an uneasy look on his face.

Esposito ignored his partner and shared the same bemused look that Beckett had on her face. "So get this, last week, had to be like 3 in the morning and my phone starts to ring. I knew it was this moron because who else would call. So I pick up and, and," Esposito can't get the next words out before laughing until his eyes watered. "Kev was hysterical."

Castle gave Ryan a concerned look until he saw the Irishman shaking his head with a small smile on his face.

"He says, 'Javi, get your ass over here right now.' Keep in mind I am in bed because it's ass o'clock in the morning, but I was dressed and at his apartment in a record of 15 minutes half expecting to find Kevin being murdered or something."

"Javi you can stop telling this, I think they've heard enough of it." He groaned into his hand.

"Wait, Ryan was crying, I've got to know why." Castle laughed nudging Ryan's leg with his foot so he would look up and see the joking smile he had.

"The whole nine yards, Cas," Esposito grinned, "tears were streaming down his face and I'm just standing there-"

Ryan interrupted him with a shove, "I don't think so, dude, you're bashing my pride? Don't lie to save yours." He turned to Castle and Beckett, "He's the one that opened my door came running in and hugged me."

"Dude, that is such bull." Esposito tried to lie, although Castle and Beckett knew it wasn't by his blush.

Ignoring Esposito he continued, "He even started rubbing my back and saying, 'It's okay, bro.'"

"Yeah, but you're the one that held on to me."

"I had a perfect reason to!"

Castle and Beckett exchanged smiles before Castle cleared his throat, "The story, gentlemen?"

Esposito nodded with a regained smirk, "You wanna know what he says? He told me he lost Sarah Grace. I laughed at him until I realized he was being completely serious. I figured, the dope probably didn't check under the blankets, but when I checked he did. He turned the whole room upside down."

"You lost Sarah Grace?" Beckett laughed at this now because of course, she knew they had found the baby, but how had he even lost her in the first place was a mystery.

"Then I thought maybe she just crawled somewhere and was hiding, but we searched for two hours before I nearly lost it. Kev was running up and down the hall, had me checking the fire escape. We were both a mess."

"He was crying too by this point." Ryan cut in.

Esposito rolled his eyes and continued, "There was a point when we both just stopped and looked at each other thinking this can't possibly be happening. And then Jenny calls because she had been visiting her parents in Ireland."

Castle grinned and leaned forward, "Ohhh, this is getting good!"

Esposito nodded with a smile, "Honey Milk answers the phone and Jenny says good morning, Kevin tries to keep his voice from cracking throughout the first few minutes when suddenly we hear it. Sarah Grace's voice."

Beckett smiled and looked over at Ryan who was avoiding anyone's gaze.

"Then Jenny says, 'Sarah Grace wanted to say good morning to her Daddy,' and then we hear her on the phone. She was in Ireland with Jenny."

Castle blinked letting it sink in before he broke out in laughter. He covered his mouth so his beer wouldn't be spit across the table. "Jenny took her with her?!"

Ryan blushed and nodded, "It was the first night and I just forgot..." He laughed nervously.

"'Cause he forgot his baby was with his wife, I dragged my ass out of bed and I think we both got our first gray hair." Esposito clapped his partner's shoulder.

"Don't you dare put this in your book Castle." Ryan warned shaking his head.

Castle lifted his hands in a defensive manner, "I know, Ryan." He laughed and then Beckett started to laugh causing a grin to crack on Ryan's face.

"It was kinda funny, wasn't it?" He laughed softly.

"Maybe just a little." Castle hadn't stopped laughing since he heard the punchline of the story.

For the rest of the night, it went just like that, telling stories, laughing and drinking beer. They didn't stop until 3 am when Ryan announced they should all get home because they all had work the next morning.

They all exchanged 'See you later's before Castle and Beckett went home in one cab to be dropped off at Castle's apartment while Ryan and Esposito took a different cab because they were in a different direction.

Esposito patted Ryan's leg and handed his fare to the cabbie for saying 'Goodnight' to his partner and heading inside. He walked through the empty main entrance and walked down the hall to his room. It was times like this when he was very grateful he didn't have to walk up flights of stairs when he was borderline drunk.

He was about to stick his key into the door when he heard someone chuckle, "Javier Esposito, so nice to finally get the chance to meet you."

Esposito grabbed his gun from his waist and turned around quickly pointing the gun at the stranger. "Who are you?"

The man smiled and shrugged his shoulders coming closer, "Just a friend of William."

Esposito tightened his grip and tried to figure out what William he was referring to. The man laughed and spoke, "You look confused, Detective, Senator William Bracken, the man that you and your buddies just put away for murder."

Esposito's blood ran cold, he should have known it wasn't going to be this easy.

"We've been watching you four for quite a bit, learned many weaknesses. He always wanted to take out Beckett, to kill her, I didn't agree." He leaned casually on the wall. "Why should we just kill that bitch off if we could make her suffer? Now that he got his ass dragged off, it's my turn to be the hero. It's time to do this my way."

"If you try and touch her, I will kill you." Esposito growled raising the gun to point directly at the man's head.

He laughed, "I must say Javier, I always did enjoy your loyalty. To Montgomery, Kate Beckett," His grin grew sinister, "...your partner..."

Esposito's eyes widened and he stuck the gun into the monster's throat. "Don't you fucking touch my partner."

He ignored the implied threat and kept his smug grin, "Ah yes, Detective Kevin Ryan. He should be fun, don't you think?"

Esposito only saw red as he dug the gun into his skin as far as it allowed, "I will pull this trigger."

"My boy, you haven't heard what I have to say yet. If you would calmly follow me outside then no harm at all will come to him, his wife, or his precious daughter." He pushed the gun away from his neck. "But if you don't, don't you think it would be pretty tragic to read about your partner in the news? Rogue cop shoots wife and baby before taking his life after a bad case."

Esposito swallowed thickly, "No one will believe that."

"You'd be surprised by what the people believe when it's on the news. Especially when there was a concerned neighbor such as myself who tried to stop that psychopath, but was too late."

"Don't talk about my partner like that." Esposito would be damned if this asshole pushed his partner around even if only verbally.

"Then I suggest that you follow me." He grinned.

Esposito hesitated, "You won't hurt him if I come...?"

"Nope," He grabbed Esposito's gun before pushing him down the hallway. Esposito allowed himself to be pushed and taken if it meant his partner and family stayed safe.

···········

Kevin opened his apartment door trying to keep quiet so he didn't wake Jenny or Sarah Grace. He entered the kitchen to get a glass of milk before he would head to bed.

The only light that was currently in the apartment was from the refrigerator, so when he suddenly heard a strangers voice behind him, he dropped the gallon of milk and his eyes searched the dark for the source. His hand pulled his gun from his belt.

"Detective Kevin Ryan," The voice repeated before he flicked on the kitchen light and he got a good look at the intruder. He was tall, definitely buff and his face was covered in scars; overall Kevin would describe him as dirty. Like the murderers he put away, the drug dealers he used to have to deal with undercover and the assholes that shot at him and Javi daily.

So you can imagine the terror that boiled his blood when he say his baby girl in this dirtbag's arms. He felt his knees grow weak when he raised his gun. "Put. Her. Down." He growled.

"Such a beautiful child," The man's voice was rough and sounded like he must have been smoking ten packs a day for the past thirty years. "She will grow up to be quite a pleaser."

"Whatever you want, keep her out of this." Kevin kept his eyes on his sleeping baby praying she stayed asleep so she didn't wake up in this creep's arms. He glanced towards his bedroom wondering what happened to Jenny for him to be able to take their baby from her crib.

"Don't worry, just a little tranquilizer to make sure she stays put until morning. Doesn't even know we're here." He grinned reading Ryan's mind.

"Put my daughter down and fight like a man." Ryan narrowed his eyes.

"Says the one pointing the gun." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, I don't need to fight because I already know I will win."

He curled one of Sarah Grace's blonde locks on his finger and made a disgusting face that made Kevin's stomach flip. "I just want you to willfully come with me."

"Ha, I wouldn't go down the hall willfully with you."

"I think I forgot to tell you exactly who I am, follower of William Bracken. And the boss now running this operation wants you...but I'm sure he'd like her much more. Don't you think?"

Ryan's heart started beating faster and faster.

"She's young now, but she'll grow up to know her sole purpose is to entertain our boys. The older she gets, the more she plays back." He winked at Ryan.

"Put her down, you fucking jackass." Ryan felt his eyes burning from gathering tears.

"The boss loves blondes, I know he'll make her feel so special. Of course all the others will get their fun. The only time she won't be having fun is when she sleeps and hey, I can't even promise that."

By this point, the tears were flowing down his face and he was shaking at the thought of his baby girl being taken away to those animals for their sexual enjoyment all because of him...

"Alright!" He threw his gun and stretched his arms out, "I'll come if you let me put her back in her crib and never come after my family again.

He grinned and placed Sarah in her father's arms and in a second, she was pressed up his chest as he kissed her head again and again whispering that he loved her.

"After you, Detective."

Ryan didn't look up as he gave his daughter a last kiss letting his lips rest a bit longer then the rest as he took in her baby smell so if this was goodbye he would never forget her adorable baby scent.

He walked into his room and laid her in her crib before walking besides the bed where Jenny was laying and placed a soft kiss to her lips.

"Time to go," The man smiled as he lead Ryan out of his apartment to get him the van taking him to only God knows where.

* * *

**I should have the next chapter posted next week, but I've been falling behind on writing because I finally got Netflix and have been watching Supernatural ever since last week and I'm already half-way through season 5. But, don't worry, I will start writing in a day or so.**

**Please leave reviews because they really do inspire me to write more and improve my work. Thank you for reading! See you next Tuesday!**


	3. Insides Crying

Jenny groaned as she pushed herself up off her bed. Her head was pounding and she felt more tired than she did when she went to bed. She turned her head to the digital clock on her beside table and was shocked to see the time 9:30 flashing. Kevin was supposed to be in work at 8. Shifting to the other side of the bed she saw Kevin didn't sleep in because he wasn't in bed next to her.

Something didn't settle very well in her stomach as she noticed that Kevin's side of the bed was neat, just like how she left it. He never made the bed in the morning, so why would he start today?

She shook this thought out of her head thinking he probably just crashed on the couch or maybe at Javier's. Hell, she wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even make it out of The Old Haunt. They were going drinking that night to celebrate the case they've been trying to close for years, this time she excused him staying out late and getting drunk.

As long as he called her.

But, her concern grew back when she lifted her phone off the dresser and saw no missed calls from her husband. Not even a text. Her memory was a bit fuzzy, but she didn't remember having a conversation at all with her husband. Actually the last thing she remembered from last night was a few minutes after Kevin left and she just laid Sarah Grace down and then it went black.

She rubbed her face trying to figure all this out, but she couldn't without straining her already pounding head. Deciding that it would be best to find Kevin first, she unlocked her phone and dialed his number.

She bit her lip anxiously as each ring passed until his voicemail came on. She hung up and tried again three more times, but only reached his voicemail each time. She shut her eyes and tried to calm down because maybe he left his phone at his desk or it was on vibrate...even though Kevin always picked up his phone when she called.

A soft cry disrupted her from her thoughts and she was soon on her feet lifting Sarah from her crib. "Shh, baby girl, don't cry." She brought the seven month old to her face to drop kisses on her cherub face. But a sudden scent stopped her dead in her tracks.

She hesitantly sniffed her daughter's shirt and once again the sickening smell of tobacco and an unfamiliar cologne filled her nostrils. Neither her nor Kevin smoked and Kevin and Javier didn't own this scent of cologne. So who had been holding her baby...?

She held her daughter close to her chest and desperately tried calling Kevin again. "Pick up the damn phone!" She screamed to the beeping. When his voicemail reached her ears once again, she was close to throwing it across the room when she remembered the person that always knew where Kevin was (other than her).

She quickly punched in Javier's emergency contact right underneath Kevin (Kevin had told her to put his partner's number there just in case when they started dating and Jenny still had it saved as #4).

She felt hot tears falling down her face as she begged Javier to pick up the phone, but his went to voicemail too. "Shit." She cursed before heading to her bed and laying Sarah Grace down in the center. She was going to the precinct to find out what was going on.

She was quickly dressed in one of Kevin's NYPD sweatshirts and her comfortable jeans. She threw her hair in a ponytail and slipped on her sneakers before she picked her phone up again.

It was raining out and she only wanted to take Sarah out if she had to, so she decided to try and call Beckett. Fortunately, the ringing stopped after the third.

"Detective Kate Beckett 's phone." She heard Castle answer cheerfully.

"Rick? Where's Kate? Are you okay?" Jenny asked hastily, not noticing her tears progress.

Castle's tone immediately turned solemn, "Jenny, are you okay?" This caught Beckett's attention from across the break room table and motioned for Castle to change it to speaker.

"-know! He's gone and-" Kate caught the woman's cries midway through and spoke up, "Jenny, slow down, who's gone?"

"Kevin." She let out a choked sob. "I don't think he made it home last night or maybe he did and that's when they took him. Oh, I don't know!" Castle and Beckett exchanged confused looks as Jenny continued to cry.

Castle cleared his throat and softly asked, "Jenny who took him?"

Jenny sighed and explained what she had discovered that morning, making sure she didn't leave a detail out. Castle and Beckett intently listened and once she finished, Beckett was out of her seat in a moment and was using her 'I'm in charge voice.', "Jenny, get Sarah Grace and wait for Castle to pick you up. We're going to send uniforms out to check your apartment for a break in."

"But what about the boys?" Slight rustling sounds could be heard from Jenny's line as she bent over to pick Sarah back up.

"We'll track their numbers down and see where it leads us." Beckett motioned for Castle to follow her out.

"Okay, good luck. I'll see you soon." Jenny said before hanging up her phone.

Beckett pocketed her phone and quickly booted up her computer before picking up the phone on her desk and dialing rapidly and placing the phone to her ear, "Demming? It's Beckett." She greeted and soon got down tobusiness giving him Ryan's address and letting him in on what was going on.

Castle smiled, and watched as Beckett continued to sternly order Demming to take his team and check out Ryan's apartment. She really wanted this to stay under the radar for a bit. Castle thought that while Beckett was handling that, he could run and bring Jenny and Sarah Grace back to the station.

He jingled his keys to get her attention and she smiled with a thankful nod. Her smile was enough to calm Castle's nerves, but a moment later she was back to frowning as she informed Demming to send a team to Esposito's apartment as well. And they had to be quiet about it all right now because if this was serious, Gates would most likely take her off the case.

But Beckett wasn't going to let that happen.

Castle pulled his jacket tighter around himself as he edited the warm precinct. The rain had turned into a steady drizzle, but the wind continued to blow it around powerfully.

As he jogged to his car, he silently prayed that this was all just a big joke and Ryan and Esposito were just hungover somewhere. The more he tried to convince himself this was nothing, the more the details that proved this was something bad increased.

Because why else would Sarah Grace smell like that, why else would Jenny wake up with a pounding headache and not remember much of the night before?

His heart began to quicken as he increased the pressure on the peddle. Who had something against both Ryan and Esposito? This was serious, so all the men they hustled playing pool at The Old Haunt most likely wouldn't have done this.

He sped through a yellow light before it turned red, his mind still racing. Lockwood would be pissed he never finished his job on the two-if he was still alive. Castle pushed the idea of evil spirits out of his head because this was serious and they couldn't afford Castle wasting time.

Jerry Tyson was dead(or so Castle hoped) and they just put Bracken behind bars. Who else held a grudge? Not many that Castle could think of. He impatiently drummed his fingers against the wheel as he pulled in front of the world's slowest driver to park in front of Ryan's apartment building.

He didn't even shut off his car before running to the intercom and holding the button for Ryan's apartment. Immediately he heard Jenny, "Rick?"

"Yeah." He breathed and could have sworn he heard disappointment in her voice when she informed him that she'd be down in a second because he wasn't her husband. She was still praying this was all just a misunderstanding, but was beginning to doubt it as well.

Just like she said, she was exiting the lobby a few minutes later with Sarah Grace close to her chest and a diaper bag thrown over her shoulder. Castle quickly took his jacket off and held it over Jenny and her daughter's heads for the short walk to his car.

He opened the passenger door for her and then made his way to the other seat once she was settled. He turned to her and apologized for not having a car seat, but he didn't have time to stop and pick one up. Jenny shook her head and told him she had one in her closet, but she had no idea how to put it in and it usually took a good twenty minutes for Kevin. She just wanted to get out of there and to the precinct where she'd feel much safer.

Castle quickly pulled away, but much slower this time, keeping the seven month old in mind. He softly spoke when he heard Jenny's sniffles. "We'll find him, don't worry. Maybe it's nothing."

Jenny shook her head, "I can't lose him. I knew dangers come with this job and I married him, I started a family with him knowing that because I love him. I just never thought this day would come."

"He's strong. So is Esposito. Now it's our turn." Castle tried to assure her.

Jenny held Sarah in a different position to get comfortable, "That night a few years ago...when that psychopath took them, I got a call from Kevin telling me he wasn't coming over that night because he was in the hospital, I was terrified. The next morning he came home and he seemed better, except for a little weak." Castle's curiosity was growing as he tried to figure out where she was going with the story of Lockwood. They all knew he was a little slower at work than usual, but that was a given because his body was still fighting off hypothermia. And Esposito of course was up his back for the next few months so nothing happened to his partner again.

"It was killing him." Castle was confused when she started her story back up, "He would wake up with nightmares of him drowning, at the warehouse, in the ocean, a lake, a pool, the bath or anywhere. It was controlling him. I had to force him to take a shower even though he was terrified. The look in his eye was screaming for me to leave him alone, but he had to wash and had to get over it. Every night was the same, I'd push him to the bathroom, strip him down and force him in. It took hours. I almost gave up one night when he actually started to cry." She was silent for a second before continuing, "That went on for two months before he finally calmed down and realized the water wasn't going to hurt him." She stayed silent for a minute as Castle continued to drive.

She sighed, "I guess what I'm trying to say is there comes a point when everybody just breaks down and I don't know if I can fix him again. Javi took me a good four months before I convinced him it wasn't his fault."

Castle shook his head, "You're not alone, Jenny, we're in this together and we're all going to be there be there for them. You won't do it alone."

"Thanks," Jenny smiled, "Oh and Rick, don't tell Kevin I told you about his little water hissy fits, you know how delicate a man's ego is." She tried to lighten the mood.

Castle laughed, "We can't be perfect."

Jenny smiled and looked down at Sarah as she let out a gurgled giggle.

Beckett hung up with Demming and let out a soft sigh before sitting in front of her computer. She double clicked the icon for the program she used to locate phone numbers.

She typed in Ryan's number and shook her head, this was supposed to be a calm day. They just solved her mother's murder and Gates was rewarding them for all the trouble they were put through the previous day by not making the team go to a call unless necessary. She had a day off and was getting paid.

Ryan's phone was still on and gave her a location. She smiled and printed out the map of a nearby NYC block and then entered Esposito's number. His was right next to Ryan's which struck her as odd because neither of their apartments were close to where they were, but also assuring because they were together.

She pulled the already printed paper(not needing Esposito's since they were right next to each other). She grabbed her keys off her desk and ran to the elevator. She groaned and impatiently tapped her foot once she was inside because her stomach was in knots. Maybe they were okay, but there was also the possibility of them not being there.

"Shit!" Beckett cursed when she stomped to the two phones laying on the ground. She bent down and picked them up. She clicked the unlock button trying to see if whoever dropped their phones on the other side of the city left her something to find them with. Ryan's phone had no new notifications, but Esposito's did...

She made her way back to the car, pocketing Ryan's and taking her phone out. The message that this unknown number sent, sent a chill down her jerk and her blood ran cold. She reread the message trying to make sense of all this.

She dialed Castle's number waiting for him to pick up and when he did she didn't even know how to say what she found. "Castle." Was all she could manage and he knew right away something was wrong.

"Beckett! What's wrong? Did you find them?"

"No, just their phones and a message from their kidnappers." She was doing her best to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Kidnappers? What do you mean?"

She leaned her head back in the seat and repeated the message she couldn't get from her head. "Are you to play, Detective Beckett?"

* * *

**i know, no Javi or Kev in this chapter, I'm sorry. Don't worry we'll see them next chapter. **

**Sorry this is so late! I was going to keep up ahead with this story, but write after I posted the last chapter I finally got Netflix and watched the 8 seasons of Supernatural. In like 2 weeks, I only have season 9 left. So i apologize because now i'm running behind bc i have done no writing at all. Curse you Supernatural. **

**Hopefully, i'll finish the third chapter tonight; not sure, but it won't be posted until next week. Weekly updates I'm trying to keep up with. **

**do you guys like this story or no? I would love to read more review**

**HAPPY CROATOAN DAY! **

**if you have Croatoan/anti-possesion symbol on your arm, you're safe but if you don't you're infected. have fun and happy spreading!:) [it's a Supernatural thing]**


	4. Raining Down

Javier blinked his eyes slowly open and tried to figure out where he was. He vaguely remembered being taken out of his apartment before he was knocked upside the head with something hard.

He pulled his arms trying to see just what exactly was bounding him. He heard a familiar sound of clanking metal and groaned because it just had to be freaking metal right? Maybe Ryan and Castle and Beckett were already looking for him.

He hoped that creepy-fuck kept his promise and didn't touch his partner because even if Ryan had the smallest bruise, there would be Hell to pay.

A sudden cough from besides him stopped his heart though and he couldn't move. Was that Ryan? No...they wouldn't be that stupid. But when he turned his head, his partner was slumped forward and the q thing keeping his face from smashing into the concrete floor was the metal chains digging into his bloody wrists.

"Ryan!" Esposito whispered loudly so hopefully it would wake his partner up but not catch the attention of anyone else. His feet were also attached to the wall, but luckily the chains on his ankles extended much further than the ones on his wrist. He was able to use his foot to kick Ryan's leg.

Ryan mumbled something softly before lifting his head up. Esposito noticed the yellow bruise on his forehead, no doubt from when they knocked him out. He still felt the headache and remembered waking up not knowing where he was, so he tried to calmly wake Ryan.

"Hey, bro, you okay?" Esposito nudged him again to get his attention.

Ryan's eyes widened at the sound of partner and he turned his head, "Javi, what are you doing here?"

Espo moved as close as his restraints would allow, "I should be asking you the same question." Esposito's annoyance grew because that man promised Ryan would stay safe if he willfully went along. "They weren't supposed to touch you, I'm really sorry, Kev."

"For what? You're here too." Ryan slowly shifted with a wince trying to find a comfortable position for his arms.

Esposito mumbled something brushing the conversation off, "You know when a murderous lunatic slaps cuffs on your wrists and bounds you to the wall, usually you're supposed to lean on the wall so they don't cut your wrists." He said with a smile noting Ryan's unconscious behavior.

The laugh that Esposito heard was all Esposito needed to calm his nerves enough to smile because that's all Esposito could do for his partner in situations like this. When they had been captured by Lockwood, Esposito made the crack about his mom not only to be a smartass to him, but more importantly to give Ryan a break-to make him laugh. His quip had given Ryan's poor lungs a moment or so out of the water and he even got a laugh out of him and for a moment they weren't being tortured.

That night they were stuck in the burning building, Esposito thought that was their last night alive-their last night together. Esposito's heart lightened when he heard his partner naming his baby(if it turned out to be a boy) after him and he had to return the favor the only way he knew how; by making Ryan laugh.

And if that was all he could do to help Ryan then so be it.

Ryan smiled softly and looked over at Esposito's wrists and said, "Well, we all don't have the pleasure of having our captors lean us nicely against the wall for a nap."

Espo smiled, "They must like me more."

"If I were them, I would have spent two minutes with you and left you alone. I don't know how they're gonna deal with your annoying personality." Ryan didn't mean to somber the mood, but he did and it was silent.

"Beckett and Castle'll find us, don't worry, we've been through worse." Ryan spoke again brushing Esposito's shoulder with his.

Esposito agreed with a slight nod even though part of him doubted they'd be saved before those men started what to they had planned. And his conscience was right when Esposito saw the door on the opposite wall open.

Esposito noticed Ryan's eyes narrow with slightly bared teeth. Esposito didn't recognize the first man, but he clearly remembered the second from apartment building hallway. Esposito reacted the same way Ryan did, so he assumed that the other man was the one that threatened Ryan. Esposito wasn't sure which one he hated more.

"I'm so glad you two could join us," The man that Ryan had shown a clear animosity towards smiled and tucked a strand of his greasy overgrown hair behind his ear. "The boss has been looking forward to this."

"Go fuck yourself, bastard." Ryan spit at the man's feet, but he only smiled in return.

"Perhaps, but after your lovely daughter is finished." He gripped Ryan's jaw tightly as the detective continued to fume.

Esposito tugged on his cuffs, "Get the Hell away from him."

"Ah ah, Anders, please don't upset our guests before we settle the rules and consequences first." He looped his finger in Anders collar and pulled him away from the two captives.

"Yes, sir." He all but growled, shoving Ryan roughly to the side. He fell onto his backside but didn't stop glaring at the man.

The other, obviously superior, cleared his throat and pulled up a chair sitting in front of the partners with a small smile. "My name is Lester, and that would be Anders," He started the conversation off and continued when all he got were glares."I know you're probably confused, I don't blame you," He shrugged his shoulders. "But this had to be done, you see we couldn't let Katherine get away free. Bracken will be upset when he gets out and she still lives."

"In case you haven't been paying attention, he went in for multiple murders, Einstein, he's not getting out anytime soon." Q cut in.

"Legally, maybe, but we don't pay much heed to laws, Detective, that you should know." He rolled his eyes and stood up, "It just so happens that to really break Katherine, you must be. It's quite simple because you're her family, and family seems to be her greatest weakness." He kneeled by Esposito and looked him in the eye before slapping his cheek hard enough to make his head snap to the side.

He barely flinched and now it was his turn to smirk, "I was a soldier, idiot, I can take physical pain. So go ahead, I won't break."

"Yes," Lester agreed, "I thought of that and my solution was simple." He stood up again and pointed his finger, "You can bare the physical abuse, but when it's those you care about in pain, that's when you break."

Javier didn't even fully comprehend what was said until Lester grabbed Ryan's shoulders and held him still to allow Anders to approach. The towering brute grinned down at the struggling Irishman before sending a forceful kick straight to his abdomen. He sent maybe half of a dozen until when Lester released his shoulders, he fell to the concrete ground hugging where the pain seemed to flame.

Esposito didn't dare move a muscle, sure he wanted to stop those mindless apes, but he had to remain stoic; his responsibility was to not fall apart as they beat his partner because no way in Hell would they get the satisfaction.

"The worst part of this, I think is the fact you know you can't save him." Lester laughed as Anders couldn't help but introduce his boot to Ryan's head via kicks, "We don't want Intel, we're not trying to crack you or even keep your sorry assets alive. We're gonna kill you anyway, so we might as well watch you crash and burn."

Esposito felt hot tears prick the back of his eyes, but he refused to let them fall. They were getting out of there. Javier flinched when Ryan's head was kicked and smacked into the wall, but they wouldn't break him or his partner because Beckett and Castle would find them and they'd be safe.

Just gotta hold on.

Sorry for the short chapter, but I've been behind and I figured something was better than nothing.

Reviews will inspire me to write more fyi;)


	5. Cold and Lost in Desperation

**Warnings for this chapter- some beating, mind-fucking, threatened non-con(but doesn't actually happen; it won't) The real torture doesn't start until next chapter, so depending on who you are that's either good or bad idk. I'm a big fan of whump so I'm already writing the next chapter. **

* * *

Kate was running the burner cell number through the computer when Jenny entered the precinct with Sarah Grace and Castle walking behind her with a comforting hand on her back.

Jenny looked around the precinct as she held her daughter to her chest. "Where should I sit?" She quietly asked the writer.

"By Kate, we'll see what's going on and if she figured anything out." Castle pointed to his fiancé whom was still busy typing away.

Jenny nodded numbly and bounced Sarah a bit when she started to become restless. "I know, princess, I'm worried too, but we'll find Daddy."

Castle felt his heart stutter when he heard her whispering, Castle remembered when his daughter was taken. God, that was the scariest part of ___his life_. Thankfully, she wasn't harmed and Castle prayed that the same went for his two partners, but Castle knew that people wouldn't hesitate to harm two full grown men.

Beckett turned around when Sarah started to fuss, "Hey Jenny, hey Sarah." She smiled sadly at the two girls in front of her.

Jenny's eyes were still red and puffy, but her voice sounded normal, much better than her frantic phone call. "Kate, please tell me you found ___something_."

Beckett sighed and shook her head, "They dropped the burner by the same alley they dropped Ryan and Espo's." She shrugged one shoulder, "We could go check it out again, but I think our best option right now is to wait for Demming to get back about both apartments."

Jenny pulled the diaper bag into her lap and rummaged through it until she found the binky to let Sarah suck. "Is there anything I can do?" She looked up at Kate, "I can't just___sit here_."

Kate shook her head, "All we have is the text, I don't have ___any_ other leads for us to possibly go on."

But Jenny didn't hear past Beckett mentioning a text, "A text? These...___people_," Jenny spat the word as if it was foul to the tongue-and when describing the whoever the Hell took Ryan and Espo, it was, "that took Javier and Kevin, they left a note?"

Kate mentally smacked herself, she really didn't want Jenny to know what was actually going on, "Well, we can't be su-"

But she was cut off, "Kate, don't say that. I know what you say. To victims and their families in order to keep them in the dark." She shook her head, "That is my husband,___the love of my life_ and his brother, the man that is in my apartment more than his own? out there and I think I deserve to know what's happening as much as you and ___Castle_do."

Castle and Beckett both exchanged a look because she was right, Jenny wasn't just one of Kevin's girlfriends, she was his wife, the woman he had made a beautiful baby girl with. And she was their friend, she was always joining the small group for poker night, parties and some nights out for dinner or drinks. Castle wasn't even in the NYPD and he was aware of what was going on that not even ___their Captain knew_. They couldn't deny the same right to Jenny.

Kate silently lifted Espo's phone off her desk and handed it to Jenny with the text message up. She watched the blonde's lips mouth slightly as she read the short sentence. "What...who would take them to get to you?"

Castle shrugged his shoulders, "3XK, Bracken, who the hell knows. Could be anybody we put behind bars."

Jenny placed the phone back in Beckett's hand and the detective cleared her throat softly, "Jenny, I really...I mean, I hope you can forgive me."

Jenny looked up at her with confusion, "For what?"

"Obviously it has something to do with me, I wish they'd taken me instead of Javi and Kevin, but-"

"Stop." Jenny frowned. "It's not your fault, your family. You four have been there for each other long before I was in Kevin's life and you've always kept each other alive. And it's nice, it's nice to know that all of you have each other's backs. I don't blame you one bit, I blame the damn pricks who took them."

Castle straightened a bit at this, he had heard Ryan cuss multiple times during chases and dead ends in cases and boy, did he get creative with his English ___and Gaelic_ during their X-Box 360 showdowns. But never once did he hear Jenny say a bad word.

Kate seemed to agree somewhat with Jenny, but deep inside she still felt the pang of guilt eating away at her.

She hated that at every twist and turn, she was always dragging her partners into her problems.

* * *

Javier couldn't look at what was going on in front of him; his brother was getting ___the shit beat out of him_ and Javi could do nothing but watch. It has been going on for at least fifteen minutes now and only stopping when Kevin let out a sarcastic remark.

"You think I haven't been through a good beating before?" Kevin said between several punches to his cheek, "This is nothing compared to my father after stumbling home from the bar or even those stupid kids on the way home from school. You must be losing your ___touch_." Kevin patted himself on the back that he was able to make a smirk from his fat lip.

Javier watched his partner try and play all this off, even though he knew his partner well enough to understand he was in ___pain_. He was also silently praying for those two little tidbits about his father and school bullies were just part of the façade, but he honestly didn't know at all right now because even bruise after bloody bruise Kevin was still able to pull himself up right after he went down.

Javier eased himself with the excuse that the Academy had taught him to build up a resistance to pain the same way the military taught him.

"You're all ___bark_ and no ___bite_, Blue Eyes." Lester laughed as he pulled his head up by his hair.

Kevin bit back a moan of pain as his already pounding headache increased. "Yeah, I was expecting more outta you too, Fuck Face."

Lester's patience disappeared as he nailed the much smaller man to the wall with his arm against his neck, "Watch yourself, I'm the one who's controlling the show here and I doubt you ___really_ want me to live up to that charming nickname and fuck ___your_ face so hard you won't even know what you're choking on."

Javier pulled against his restraints again for the umpteenth time; he didn't put it over Lester to bluff, but Javier knew that the only way they were ___touching_ his partner was over his dead body.

"Just try, you twat and I'll rip your fucking balls off." Javier growled and was able to kick the man's legs so his grip on Kevin's throat faltered.

Lester let Kevin drop to the ground, some color slowly going back to his face as he breathed heavily for a minute or two.

"Oh, I see, you want your turn." Lester swung back his foot and used even more force to drive it into Javier's ribs. This kick was stronger than any Kevin received and it left Javi breathless, now gasping for breath along with his partner.

"Lester, please, do not damage the merchandise too much, hmm? We didn't even start the fun yet!" Anders entered the room with a smirk that made Javier nauseous.

"The damn princess is asking for it and so's his butt buddy." Lester kicked Javier again right before he said the last epithet. B

"Yes, well, soon it'll all be ready to get started. Why don't we tape now and send later, yes?" Anders nodded looking for Kevin hunched on the wall and Javier snarling up at him.

"Yeah, boss, just let me get ready." Lester spat down on Javier's head before heading towards the door that led out of the small room they were being held in.

"Good, good," Anders mumbled as he nodded his head before he kneeled besides the Irishman. "Oh, I must apologize Lester's inability to ___not_ beat the shit out of weak, pathetic, sorry excuses of cops like you." He used the sleeve of his sweatshirt to harshly wipe the blood off of Kevin's face. "Not that I blame him."

"He's not weak and pathetic, you assholes are." Javier would not sit around while this asshole talked about his partner like that.

Anders turned to Javier, "Wow, Lester was certainly correct, you are very protective and it would be cute ___really_, if I wasn't so busy thinking it's fucking annoying."

"You know, Kev, I think this jackass must have had a pretty tough childhood; needing to find power in beating up ___tied up_ police officers." Javier smiled and looked over at his partner when Kevin let out a soft laugh before the Latino continued, "Maybe this is his anger outlet; mother didn't give him enough kisses before bedtime and-"

"Enough!" Anders roared shoving Kevin to the ground again with grunt and grabbing the front of Javi's shirt. "You think you're so damn funny! Is it even possible for you to keep your mouth shut for ten minutes?"

"I dunno, is it possible for your face ___not_ to scare little children and your mother." Javier shot right back.

"Urgh!" Anders screamed punching him right in the eye socket. ___That was going to bruise._

Anders backed away from him with smirk and grabbed a small camcorder from the chair and the stand that was leaning against the chair. "You know what this is? It's a camera. You know, so you're little friends at the 12th know how you're handling this and of course I wouldn't want them to miss the first main event." He grinned before a green light flickered on signaling that the tape was recording ___and the show was about to begin_.

Demming slammed the elevator button with more force than needed until it finally shut and begin to move up to the Homicide floor.

"Man, calm down, we'll get it to her." His friend from robbery that led the search in Ryan's apartment was next to him.

"Yeah, I know, but still, this ___Esposito and Ryan_!" Demming growled, still upset that nothing was found in Esposito's apartment nor Ryan's.

"I called the lab and the milk spilt all over the kitchen was Ryan's doing, only his prints were found on the jug." His partner, Lankston, waved the file lightly.

"Rub more in, why don't you? I didn't even find anything in Espo's out of the ordinary, maybe Ryan dropped the milk when they abducted him, ya know?" Demming hummed in thought.

"Demming, I'm your partner and I'll always be there for you, but we should really just leave this to the right department. Don't ya think?" He asked hesitantly not wanting to sound rude in any way.

"We'll be kicked off this case and we won't know ___anything_, I'm not blowing this." Demming shook his head. "Espo did good for me back at 54; from wing man to having my back in the streets. I'm not letting him down."

"Yeah, but if Gates finds out..." Lankston trailed off, his threat hanging in the air.

"She won't if we're careful." Demming said walking off the elevator with a smile that soon disappeared when he saw Victoria Gates standing by her office, her arms were crossed furiously across her chest.

"Uh, good morning, Sir." Demming laughed nervously grabbing Ryan's fingerprint file from Lankston's hands and hid it behind his back.

Gates ignored his greeting, "Officer Demming, care to explain to me why you are on ___the Homicide floor_ with a fingerprint match for ___Detective Kevin Ryan_ behind your back."

"Uhh," He looked over at Beckett who nodded silently, letting him know that their captain knew. He sighed, "A spilt carton of milk was found on Ryan's kitchen floor, Sir, and we assumed it had something to do with his disappearance."

Gates held her hand out for the file and he handed it over with a frown. "You're all dismissed, I'll run all of these findings with Kip's team." She went to turn away, but Castle's voice stopped her.

"Sir, what? You can't just-"

"Mr. Castle, this is not a homicide case, you're not even apart of the NYPD. This case is obviously too close ___for all of you_." She clicked her heels before she went to turn around again, but Castle grabbed her arm.

"___No,_" Castle narrowed his eyes and ignored Beckett's elbow shove and silent plea for him to stop. "Kevin and Javier are who the hell knows where! And it's only because of us! Someone is trying to get to us, and they're our brothers...we can't just...we're not going to just give up on them. We never have before." He let go of her arm, but straightened his back so he was looking down on her, "Those two mean a lot to me, to Kate, even Alexis sees those doofuses as big brothers and ___no one_ will be able to work hard enough to find them ___except us_."

Gates sighed pinching the bridge of her nose, "Mr. Castle, I understand, but we don't know how serious this is. Trust me, I care about those two as well. I'm just trying to do what I think is best..."

"Please, Captain Gates, ___please_." Jenny joined Castle. "I wouldn't be able to sleep if anyone___but_ these two were working on the case."

Gates took in the tears that slowly poured from her eyes as she held her baby daughter to her chest an gave it, "I wouldn't feel right with anyone else on this case either, Mrs. Ryan."

Beckett's sullen face turned into one of disbelief, "Sir, I...___thank you so much_." She smiled taking the file from her Captain, "Castle and I'll go check out where their phones were dropped one more-"

In the midst of her sentence, the floor's lights flickered violently before the floor went pitch black. Nobody moved or said a word, except for Sarah's soft cries and Jenny's consistent shushing until the baby was no longer startled by the darkness.

The TVs and computer all slowly turned on at once, black screen but white noise was screeching through the speakers. Until two very familiar people were on the screen.

Kevin and Javier were both chained to a wall, barely any light, but enough to see them clearly. Jenny gasped and let out a sob when she saw Kevin's beaten and bloody form. His face was swollen and bloody with bruises and he was slumped uncomfortably against the wall along with his partner.

___"You know what this is? It's a camera. You know, so you're little friends at the 12th know how you're handling this and of course I wouldn't want them to miss the first main event."_ An unfamiliar voice was heard, although his body was off screen.

___Javier was the one to speak up, his face not nearly as beat up as Kevin's, but as he tried to change his position against the wall, you could clearly tell his ribs had taken a beating. "I know what a fucking video camera is-your mom tried sneaking one in the bedroom last night."_

___He smirked and Kevin laughed softly, spitting blood out of his mouth besides him. "Nice one, Javi."_

Castle immediately stood behind Jenny and wrapped one comforting hand around her waist as she cried silently and took Kate's hand in his other.

Neither Castle nor Beckett saw Lockwood torturing the two, they only heard Lockwood's order to shoot out one of their kneecaps followed by both Ryan's and Espo's screams. She was thankful she wasn't forced to have to watch it happen before her eyes, but now she wasn't so lucky.

___The mystery man growled, "You two never shut up, do you?!"_

___"Wait," Javier put a look of mock confusion on his face, "I thought _you wanted ___to hear us scream, I believe is how you murderers say it."_

"Javi, please..." Jenny whispered under her breath saying all their thoughts aloud; wishing that Javier watched what he said.

"It's how he stays strong, Jenny, he'll be fine." Castle said quietly.

___The man laughed back on the screen, "Yes, I would love to hear you both scream, beg and all that fun stuff. Maybe as I beat you until you're unconscious," He growled, finally coming into view as he pressed Javier up against the wall. "Or maybe I wanna hear you both beg and scream as you watch me stick my cock so far up your partner's ass it comes out his fucking mouth and then I'll do it the other way around."_

To his credit, Javier barely flinched at the threat even though Kevin seemed to scoot as far as he could from the man. Castle silently prayed to God that it wasn't an actual promise as Jenny buried her head into his chest crying openly now and Kate's grip on his hand tightening just a bit more.

___Javier spoke again, "Sorry, buddy, I could be wrong but last time I checked, my partner doesn't play for you team." He shrugged his shoulders and then looked over the man's shoulder to meet his partner's eyes; not only letting him now everything would be okay, but also to ask him a question. "Hey, Kev, you don't go for big, ugly, murderers right?"_

___Before Kevin could say a word Anders yelled, "Enough!" He slapped Javier across the face and his head was slammed into the concrete wall._

___"Javi!" Kevin screamed, forgetting all about the so called threat and was closing the distance between him and his partner once again, but also Anders._

___"I'm sorry, I hope I didn't bruise him too badly."_

___"Fuck yourself." Kevin spit more blood onto his tormentor's face._

___Anders sighed and wiped it off his face before dragging his bruised fingers along Kevin's cheek, "After you, my dear."_

___Javier pushed himself off the ground and laughed weakly trying to steady himself, but get the attention off his partner, "Nah Kev, the man ain't worth it if he's like his mama. He's just a bore in bed waiting to happen. You'll probably fall asleep halfway through."_

___"Shut your damn mouth!" He sent a harmless glare towards Javier who just rolled his eyes._

___"Just you wait 'til Castle and Beckett find you...you'll be sorry." Ryan shoved the man's hand off his shoulder where it was resting after he traced a bruise on his cheek._

___"I'm so scared!" He said in mock fright with a snort. "Before they even know where to start, you'll be nothing but two rotting corpses."_

___"Go to fucking Hell." Kevin growled._

___"Ah ah, you should watch your mouth. Your_beautiful ___daughter may hear those potty words as she watches her poor Daddy and Uncle tortured to death."_

___Kevin's eyes flickered to the camera lens and back, he spoke with a weaker voice this time, "Leave her alone, or I'll kill-"_

___"Back here again, isn't this what started it all?" Anders nodded, "you instead of that blonde haired beauty, yes it was."_

Jenny curled protectively around her daughter, thankfully who was unaware to everything happening around her.

___"I'd rather bite off my own fingers than let you and your creeps touch her." Kevin tried to kick the man with his feet, but was short just by a few inches._

___He laughed, "I'd love to see that, really, but now we're kinda busy...discussing your daughter."_

___"Say one more word about her and I'll-"_

___"You'll what? Huh? I'll kill you and her other personal body guard over there and then she'll be mine." He licked his lips and puckered them as he sloppily kissed Kevin's cheek noisily making Kevin's stomach churn nauseously. "Mmm, you think she'll taste as good as you?"_

___Kevin struggled out of his grip and was able to kick him to the side. "Castle!"_

It didn't even register in Castle's head until Ryan ___screamed_ his name, ___"Rick! Don't you dare let them touch her! I'm trusting you, until you find us, don't let them put a finger on her!"_ Castle nodded even though he knew Kevin couldn't see him.

Castle looked down at Jenny, "I won't let him down." He promised.

___"Don't let them touch my princess!" He screamed as tears began to fall. He continued kicking at the man until Ander's pulled himself away from his kicking range._

___Anders groaned and rubbed his arms where new bruises were sure to be forming soon. "God, where the fuck is Lester?!"_

___Javier brushed his shoulder against Kevin's to make sure he was okay and Kevin nodded numbly before Javi pulled out the smartass comments again. "Oh, did I forget to tell you? I gave him your mom's phone number I got last night. They're probably just finishing it up."_

___"Stop talking about my mother!" He yelled finally getting enough of the distractions._

_Javier laughed, "We'll make a deal, you let us go and I'll leave your mother alone."_

_"Ha! I'm not that stupid!"_

_"Actually me and Kev voted you as the stupid one and that's 2 against 1 so, yeah, you are the stupid one." Javier tapped Ryan's foot with his making sure he was still doing okay. Kevin tapped back._

_"I want to kill you." Anders said simply, narrowing his eyes at the Latino._

_"The feeling is mutual, buddy." He ground out with the same glare._

_"Anders!" A sudden yell from the doorway dragged all three of their attention to somewhere off the screen._

_"Lester, finally," Anders smiled that sent a chill down even Beckett's back._

_Maybe it was the smile or maybe it was the way all the blood drained from both Javier's and Kevin's face._

_A dull thudding was the only noise heard until Lester finally dragged the metal tub in front of the two. A tub filled with water._

_"Here comes my favorite part." Anders smiled, "You see, Lockwood was a buddy of mine. He told me all about your playtime together."_

_For once, Javier had no retort as Lester dumped bags, and bags, _and bags_ of ice in the metal tub._

_"I think you all know where this is going..."_

_"If you..." Javier licked his lips when his throat went dry, "If you stick his head in that water..."_

_"You know, I'm real tired of your threats because I have the upper hand here. I'm going to drown that fool in ice cold water while you watch; just like old times." Anders winked before pushing off his knees and walking over to Kevin to unlock his chains off the wall._

_"It's okay, Javi, I'll be fine. Just..." Kevin sighed as he was dragged over to kneel in front of the tub._

_Javier knew that Kevin wouldn't finish that sentence because there wasn't anything that Javier could do. He just had to watch._

Castle's blood ran cold when he saw Anders preparing to dunk Kevin's head underwater. Jenny's story from the car came rushing back to his head. _They were going to try and break him again._

"Jenny, maybe you should go to the break room..." Castle tried to divert her attention away from the screen and what he knew was about to happen.

Beckett gulped, her face was paler, Castle noticed. "Jenny, I don't...you don't have to watch this."

Jenny shook her head, sniffling back tears, "Yes, I have to be there for both of them...I can't...I just need to know what they're doing..."

Castle understood, but knew he needed to warn her, "They're gonna...he's going to get dunked. It's going to..."

"No, I have to stay. I'm gonna have to see him when we get him back...I'm gonna have to fix him again. And I will because _we are bringing him back!"_

"I know, Jenny, we'll all be there to help both of them. They won't be alone."

Jenny thanked Castle tearfully and they all turned back to the screen just in time to see Kevin's head slammed into the water filled tub.


	6. Burst of Light

Kevin gulped nervously when Anders started to drag him towards the water filled tub. He didn't want this, he would much rather be tortured with beatings again before he was forced into the freezing water.

Kevin heard Javier try and convince them not to, but he knew it was no use. He was getting dunked whether he liked it or not.

He closed his eyes when he felt fingers grip his hair, and another set on his back. Before he knew it, his head was forced into the water; the cold water stinging his face. He started off with a struggle, but then realized the more he struggled, the harder the grip was.

Thankfully, seconds later he was taken out. He coughed not wanting even a drop of water to be swallowed.

"When we get out, I'm going to watch the life leave you as you struggle and jerk around in my grip as I hold your head under that water until you're dead, you fucking asswipe." Javier narrowed his eyes like he was a predator hunting his prey. Which in a way was correct.

Kevin looked over at his partner, "I'm okay. I'm okay." But Javier shook his head.

Ander's voice was just another reminder ontop of his wounds and soon-to-be-water torture, that Kevin was in fact, not okay. "Well, let's get on with this then, shall we? I am very much excited to hear you beg."

There was no witty remark from Javier because he was too busy watching his partner. Javier Esposito wasn't a praying man; yes, he amused Kevin by going to church with him, Jenny, and Sarah every Sunday, but he wasn't much of a believer. And maybe that was why he was in this mess in the first place. But so was Kevin and Javier knew he prayed more than once a day.

_God, if You're there,_ Javier prayed in his head because that's what Kevin would want him to do, _I'm sorry, okay? I'm an asshole, I probably deserve this and I probably don't._ He let out a shaky breath as Kevin's head was shoved down again with more force this time. _But, Kevin is the last man that deserves this all over again. I'm sorry, all the times I bust Kevin's balls over You._ Another dunk. _But if You're really up there watching over us with angels then get Kevin out of this. That's all I ask._

Kevin was out of breath now, his face stung and his lungs were burning. "Wait..." He paused taking deep breath after deep breath. "Camera, shut it off."

Anders chuckled looking directly at the still recording camera, "Why's that, Detective?"

Kevin was surprised his smirk didn't break the lens. "They...don't need to see..." He shook his head, refusing to look up. "Don't need to see this."

Anders scoffed, "Oh, but that's the best part. Knowing that Katherine Beckett, Richard Castle, Jenny and Sarah Grace, Victoria Gates and pretty much everyone else in the precinct is watching this!" He gripped Kevin's chin tightly and forced him to look into the camera too. "You want to know what they're all thinking? What a horrible cop you are. All the mistakes you've made. It's half your fault of all this, if you weren't so weak and clearly seen as the weak link you're partner wouldn't have to watch. His weak link is you, but yours is him and physical pain."

"Kevin, don't listen to this jack-off, it's not your fault, damn it!" Javier yelled from his position still chained to the wall.

"They're probably begging me to teach you a lesson or two. The list of your mistakes is a long one, my dear." Anders continued and straightened himself to get a better grip on Kevin.

"You are a devout man, am I correct?" Anders eyed Kevin who remained silent. "I'll take that as a yes. Anyway, you know that water is purifying. Holy water helps cleanse souls and such. Which is exactly what this water will do; rid you of your sins." He grinned before clearing his throat. "Blessed by yours truly."

Anders laughed and started to speak once again, "1st year in Narco, yelled out for your Lou. You're just lucky that you were able to put your eyes and ears in the Witness Protection Program." Anders shoved his head under and grinned as Kevin violently shook his shoulders before pulling him out again.

"Fast forward to the first few months with Javier Esposito as your partner; he told you to stay back one chase and you didn't listen. Perp heard you and was able to get away." Anders huffed and shoved his head roughly into the water, this time a bit longer than before.

Kevin came back up breathing heavy, wondering how he knew all of this as his "sins" continued to be pointed out.

He must have been punished for about a dozen and a half, he was now barely able to wheeze and his eyelids were drooping shut.

"Remember when you let your boyfriend get shot? Aren't partners supposed to have each other's backs?" He laughed when Kevin choked out an apology.

"I'm sorry...so sorry...Javi..."

"No! Kev, fuck him, man it wasn't your fault!" Javier's ripped his throat.

"Yes, Kevvie, _please_ fuck me." Adler gave a haughty laugh before dunking Kevin.

Javier growled, "I will make you suffer and scream and beg a million different ways before I kill you. You have my word."

Anders shoved the Irishman deeper, "I do look forward to it."

Javier would've gathered spit to spit on the man, but he already felt the dehydration to sit in. "Soon you'll be the one gasping for air."

Anders pulled Kevin up roughly by his hair and spoke of another of Kevin's mistakes, "Or how about when you four were chasing down your suspect and you decided to play Humpty Dumpty down the steps. That man got away because your dear partner had to stop and check on your poor concussed self."

"Castle and Beckett...caught him...the next day..." Kevin licked his blue lips.

"You and Esposito would've the day before though."

"That douche pushed him down the stairs! Let's see how you fair after I drop you down a flight or 30." Javier pulled against the chains even though all it did was bruise his wrists even more.

Anders ignored him, "Now, these last three are..._pretty heavy_. So don't be surprised if I get kinda rough." He shrugged his shoulders, "And maybe if you're good I'll be even rougher tonight."

"You're sick," Kevin gasped fresh air and spit out the cold water.

"I get that a lot." Anders shrugged his shoulders. "Shall we start the heavy duty cleansing with the time you let Jerry Tyson get the drop on you? Huh?" He shook Kevin and the Irishman couldn't do anything to hold himself still. "He got away with your gun, badge, wallet. You must be a pretty sucky cop. The writer figured it out before you. How does that feel to know that Richard Castle does your job better than yourself. Isn't he the joke at the precinct? That is before everyone sees this, then of course you'll be."

Kevin ignored the faint blush on his cheek at the embarrassment of knowing that all his fellow officers were watching this to turn an icy glare to Anders, "He's not a joke. He's done so much to save our asses, you don't even get the right to talk about anyone at the 12th. Castle's-" He was cut off as Anders shoved him under the water.

Anders kept him under as he rolled his eyes and looked towards the camera, "Look at the mess he's in and here he is trying to defend you, Richard Castle. What a modest man. I can't wait to watch him break."

Kevin was raised again and the minute his head left the water, he gasped in a huge breath swallowing water along the way. He choked on it as Anders continued.

"And because you are too incompetent to keep hold of the gun that the NYPD issued you, it got a young innocent girl killed. _Because of you._" He was leaning so close he could see tears build in the corners of the Irishman's eyes.

"I didn't...it was the Chinese mob. I didn't pull the trigger..." He choked back a sob. He just wanted this to end.

"But you practically supplied the gun which in my eyes is the same thing." He shoved Kevin's head under again as Javier's shouts filled the room along with the splashing of the water by Kevin's shoulders.

"Don't you dare tell him that! It wasn't his fucking fault!" Javier was getting tired of screaming at this man.

He lifted Kevin out of the water and grabbed his cheeks, "Detective Ryan, if you answer this question, I promise that the next sin will be your last for tonight."

Kevin could barely keep his eyes open as he coughed water out of his throat as it dribbled down his chin. Anders asked anyway without an answer.

"If you had been a good cop and not let Jerry pull one over on you and kept the gun, would Jane be dead right now?" Kevin didn't respond verbally, he shut his eyes and swallowed the lump in his already burning throat.

"Answer me, Detective." He slapped his cheek with a sting, "If you had kept your hands on that gun would she be dead or would she be living the life a young woman should be living?"

Kevin tried to hide a small sob behind a cough, but otherwise remained silent.

"Answer me!" He shook him furiously as his shout bellowed through out the room.

"No." Kevin mumbled avoiding his gaze.

"What's that, I don't think the camera heard you." He smirked.

"I said no, she wouldn't be dead! She's dead because of me!" He yelled back.

The room was quiet for a moment, only the sounds of Kevin's labored breathing filling the room.

"He was easier than I thought." Anders laughed at the camera. "But I am a man of my word, so there's only one left. My favorite actually." "I'm a failure...I think we get the point." Kevin let his eyes drop closed until a sharp slap made him jump and his eyes widen.

"One thing your partners asked you, to keep it a secret. And what did you do? You ratted them out to Captain Gates. Got them suspended."

Javier was immediately shouting over him, "Kevin, you know you were right that day!"

"The 12th had their very own Judas. Your partner didn't talk to you for three months. You were pushed around by other cops. All because you tattled. Pathetic, if you ask me." He shoved his head under the water, but unlike the other times he didn't pull him up after a few seconds.

"Where's my thanks, Detective Esposito? He betrayed you. I'm only returning the favor." He didn't loosen his grip as Kevin's struggling slowly turned to small bursts.

"You fucking asshole, let him up! He can't fucking breath!" Javier pulled harder on the chains than he's done all day.

"Why? Isn't this fun?" Anders laughed as Kevin's shoulders began to stop jerking around.

"So help me, I'll-" Javier screamed, but Anders cut him off.

"Okay, okay, you win." He rolled his eyes and lifted Kevin up with a smile. Every breath Kevin took in hurt like Hell on his lungs and his throat was raw from constant coughing, screaming and swallowing this freezing water.

When Anders lifted him, he let his eyes droop shut and his body relax as he tried to steady his breathing. Ander's grip on his hair was the only thing keeping him up until he roughly threw the Irishman to the ground.

Kevin groaned as his body slammed into the cement. He began to feel himself loose consciousness so he started to yell at him in Irish until it seemed that he got it all off his chest and quieted down.

Anders held him still as he hacked cold water up and tried to ignore the growing flame in his lungs. He opened his eyes weakly, staring straight into Ander's.

"I don't care about what insults you just called me because you're still the one tied up." He kicked Kevin's stomach making him wheeze.

Anders laughed and turned back towards the camera, "Well that's all for today, folks. I hope you all enjoyed this as much as I did. And please hold you're applause until the end." He grinned one last time into the lens before shutting the camera off.

His grin disappeared when the green light shut off, "Lester, come get these two to the cage. I have to send this video...next time remind me to live stream, it'll be much easier." He rolled his eyes before exiting the room with the camera.

"Kev, are you okay?!" Javier desperately tried to get a good look at his face, but couldn't.

"You'll be with your boyfriend in a minute," Lester said as he lifted Kevin's limp body off the ground and hoisted him roughly over his shoulder before leaving the room through the opposite door that Anders did.

"Where are you taking him? Get the fuck back here!" Javier pushed himself to his feet and pulled his hardest against the restraints.

Moments later, Lester walked back through the door looking very annoyed. "Will you shut up?" He slapped a piece of duct tape of the Latino's mouth with a relieved sigh. "That's better."

"Mmph!" Javier's shouts were muffled and incoherent.

"I didn't hurt him...yet." Lester promised as he unchained Javier from the wall and pulled him towards the door he returned from seconds ago.

The door slammed open to reveal a small room with an even smaller cage and nothing else. Inside the cage Kevin was laying down, harshly coughing.

"Kehhhv'nn!" Javier shouted behind the duct tape with wide eyes.

The cage was only 3 feet tall and had a 3x5 base, hardly enough room for either lying down or sitting with the both of them in there.

Lester shoved him forwards and Javier's heart dropped when he saw the cage door open, but Kevin too weak to be able to even get away as he laid on the ground curled around himself.

Javier dropped to his knees and Lester kicked him into the cage before slamming it shut and locking it. "See you ladies later."

Javier waited until the door was shut behind him before ripping the duct tape off his mouth now that his hands and feet were no longer bound.

"Kevin!" He put a hand on his partner's shivering shoulder.

Kevin weakly opened his eyes, "H-hey, Javi..." He mumbled between chattering teeth.

"Kevin, listen to me, you have to stay awake! Just until I can get you warmer." The Latino's fingers were quickly undoing the soaked tie before he tossed it carelessly behind him. He unbuttoned four buttons, but stopped when he heard his partner speak.

"I'm sorry, Javi." His eyes refused to meet his partner's.

"Kevin, look at me." Javier stopped undressing him, but didn't move his fingers. "Look at me." He repeated more sternly this time and still when his partner ignored him, Javier used two fingers to lift his head up gingerly by his chin.

Once Kevin's baby blue eyes melted into Javier's soft brown, he spoke again, "Kevin, none of that was your fault. You are the best damn cop I've ever seen."

Kevin shook his head, "I'm sorry for being such a shitty partner. I understand if you'd want Castle to be your partner instead after all this." His teeth continued to chatter behind his blue lips.

"I will never want another partner than you, Kev. You're out of it. You obviously don't know what you're saying because Castle is an author not a detective." Javier didn't drop their stare.

"And he's still better than me." Kevin said sadly.

Javier lifted his hands to cup Kevin's cheeks and wiped some of the freezing water from his face with his thumbs, "Kevin, no one knew Jerry was 3XK, Castle's brain works differently than ours. He's crazy. That was not your fault!"

Kevin's eyebrows furrowed, "You're not mad all those times I screwed up?"

Javier let out a humorless laugh, "Of course not, you idiot, you're my partner. I could never be mad at you. There's no one I trust having my back more than you."

Kevin smiled and visibly relaxed, "Thanks, Javi." Javier nodded and continued to unbutton his shirt and peel it off his drenched body.

"Hey...Javi," Kevin said once his shirt was fully off. Javier looked up and Kevin continued, "Before when I was yelling in Irish...I wasn't cursing him out, I was telling the others where to find us."

Javier's eyes widened, "What? How?!"

Kevin shrugged his shoulders, "They didn't knock me out in the van, we stopped a few times and I heard them talk about taking the Washington bridge and they said Long Island a few times. Jenny'll pick it up when she watches it and hopefully that'll help." Kevin smiled shyly.

Javier grabbed his partner's shoulders, "You are a fucking genius!"

Kevin smiled around a violent cough, "Thanks, bro."

Javier quickly looked over his partner's trembling body and without hesitation he stripped out of his shirt and pulled Kevin closer into his bare chest.

"W-What are you doing?" Kevin mumbled, but let himself fall into Javier's arms anyway.

"Hypothermia, learned about it back in the army, skin to skin contact is the best solution we have right now. I'm sorry, there's nothing I can really do about your pneumonia, sorry bro." Javier pulled Kevin's back against his chest; his chest tingling from the cold, but Kevin's sigh of relief helped him forget the slight discomfort.

"S'okay, Jav." Kevin mumbled tiredly and Javier knew his eyes were drooping.

"Kev, you tell _anyone_ about this, and you will regret it." Javier warned before wrapping his arms around his shivering partner.

"What word should I use when I tell Castle, snuggling, cuddling or spooning?" Kevin joked.

Javier laughed along with him, "Whatever floats your boat, as long as he knows I was the big spoon."

Kevin smiled and pushed himself further into Javier's hold and let the warmth overtake some of his coldness. Javier would admit that the freezing water was a but uncomfortable, but he'd go through anything for Kevin.

Javier stayed completely still for a few minutes until he heard Kevin's forced wheezing snores between inconsistent shivers.

He looked around the small cage knowing in the morning (or night, depending on what fucking time it was now) they'd both have bad cramps from squishing themselves to fit in the small space.

Hopefully Castle and Beckett would find them soon because on top of the torturing, neither of them have eaten in a day or so and who knows if they were going to get fed.

Once the video ended the whole precinct was deadly silent except for Jenny's soft tears.

Castle and Beckett exchanged looks that pretty much said, "We're in a load of trouble and I don't think we're getting out of it this time."

Captain Gates' booming voice soon filled the air, "Alright everyone, you see that? Those are two of our brothers in trouble and I don't give a damn what you're working on. This is now _everyone's_ priority." She waved her hand to dismiss all except for Beckett, Castle, Jenny, Demming and Lankston.

Jenny was mumbling under her breath as Beckett and Castle conversed with Demming about their findings.

"There was nothing at all in either apartments, I'm sorry, it's a dead end." Demming sighed.

Beckett shook her head, "It's fine. That's what I was afraid of." She admitted.

"Why doesn't Demming's and my team check more into it while you guys take any other leads?" Lankston offered already pulling Demming towards the elevator. Demming nodded to Beckett before their were gone.

Castle turned back to Jenny, "Jenny, it's getting late. Why don't you come with me back to my loft and you and Sarah Grace can have a late lunch-" Castle placed an arm on Jenny arm sympathetically before she interupted him.

"Long Island." She said.

"What?" Beckett looked at the woman as she wiled the tears out of her eyes.

"That's what Kevin said...he wasn't telling that piece of shit off, he was telling us where to find him." Jenny bounced Sarah slightly as she smiled a bit.

"What did he say? Exactly." Beckett pulled out a piece of paper and pen.

Jenny bit her lip and nodded, trying to translate the words she remembered. "He said that he was taken into a blue Ram?" Looking up to Castle if that made any sense, which it did; him meaning a Dodge Ram Van, but rushing to say as much as he could in a short time. "And they were headed to somewhere in Long Island...that's all." She sighed shaking her head, "I hope it helps."

Beckett nodded enthuiastically, "Are you kidding? That's a great help, we can narrow down that van seen in any toll booths in the past day. Check for recently bought or stolen blue Dodge Rams." She squeezed Castle's hand finally feeling like they were getting somewhere.

Even Sarah gurgled and smiled with the three and finally it seemed like all hope wasn't lost after all.


	7. Failure's All You've Known

Beckett's eyes were long past burning as she continued to watch the screen in front of her. As each second passed, her hopes of finding the Blue Ram somewhere in a toll booth grew thinner. Thousands of cars passed through the bridge and tolls daily making their search a fruitless hunt for a needle in a haystack.

It had been at least five hours since that heart shattering video was sent and they weren't any closer other than narrowing down their location to Long Island.

Beckett could hear Castle's voice behind her, both soothing and pleading at the same time as he tried to convince Jenny to come to his apartment and feed herself and Sarah Grace. "Jenny, please, putting yourself in the hospital because of malnutrition will be no help to Kevin and Javier when we get them back."

"I-I can't, I won't. It's not fair...why should I be here eating, sleeping and healthy when those two are being tortured." Her voice was beginning to break as she covered her mouth with her fist.

Castle offered to hold Sarah Grace for her an hour or so ago and was currently rocking her ever so slightly to keep her in her nap. He narrowed his eyes, getting sick of it, "Jennifer Ryan, so help me, you need to get to my loft and take care of yourself, for Pete's sake! Do you hear yourself?!"

Beckett finally turned from the computer screen to comfort the blonde, but still stand firmly with Castle's opinion. "He's right, Jen, you should get home. I'll keep searching and I won't stop until I find_something_. I promise you."

Jenny finally seemed to come to her senses and sighed with a nod, "Yeah, I guess." She allowed Beckett to help her stand and get to her feet.

"I'm gonna run her home with me and make dinner, I'll let my mother and Alexis know what's going on." Castle placed a chaste kiss to his fiancé's cheek.

Beckett made to sure to whisper in his ear so Jenny couldn't hear before he pulled away, "Maybe they can keep her busy; take her mind off things."

Castle nodded discreetly before he followed Jenny out of the precinct. Castle placed a kiss to the top of the baby's head, keeping Ryan's words in his mind. Keep his baby safe. _Keep her safe._

And Castle would make sure not one thing harmed Kevin Ryan's little princess if it was the last thing he did.

Jenny felt her heart brighten just a bit when Mrs. Rodgers opened the door, a bright smile adorning her face.

"Oh Richard, why didn't you say you were bringing guests? This little one is just getting more darling by the day." Her manicured hands reached over to gingerly run her fingers through the infant's curls.

"There...uh, was a change of plans, mother. Do you mind sitting with them while I get the spare room ready?" Castle eased Jenny into the living room to the couch.

Confusion was etched across Martha's face, "They're staying over? Usually you have your little Police sleepovers at the house in the Hamptons, better fit and all."

"Mother, first of all, they're not _sleepovers_ and second of all it's just Jenny and Sarah joining us for the next few days." Castle didn't know how he was going to break the tragic news to both Martha and Alexis. Over the years, the two red heads have created strong bonds with the duo; Martha seeing them as sons and Alexis seeing them as older brothers.

Martha must have read the worry in her son's face and hesitantly waved him off, "Yes, yes, go ahead." Meaning you're off the hook _for now_.

It only took a bit longer than 15 minutes to strip the sheets and put on fresh ones from the drawer. Once he had it all ready for his impromptu guests, he slipped out to the hall to head to his daughter's room.

He lifted his hand to knock on her door, but paused when Alexis's quiet singing leaked through the door along with the singer that was blasting through her stereo (Taylor Swift? Demi Lovato? Who knows, Castle lost track of all his daughter's music phases and which she was going through and when). But one thing Castle did know was that the news he was about to tell his daughter would break her heart.

With a sigh, he decided to get on with his mission and rapped his knuckled against her wooden door. The young woman opened the door with a smile as she bobbed her head to the music. "Hey, Dad! You're home early tonight...what's wrong...?"

Castle couldn't say anything, as he stared at his daughter all he could remember was when Alexis was taken from him to another country. But thankfully, they hadn't harmed her and even made sure she had basic access to food and water.

He didn't feel the tears roll down his eyes as his mind raced back to Ryan and Esposito. Sure, Castle always teased Ryan and Espo, but to be honest they were the best friends he ever had. They were more than his fiancé's partners, co-workers or even friends; they were his brothers and meant the world to him. He's been with them through late nights at the precinct, barbecues, drunken hazes and hangovers, and even tears. Whatever it was, Castle knew he could trust his life with those two.

And right now, they were being tortured while Beckett and him still had no lead to find them at all.

When thin, but strong arms wrapped around his waist he finally blinked out of his daze and choked back a sob, "Alexis, there's something I have to tell you."

"Daddy, whatever it is, it's okay. I love you so much and I'm here for you." Alexis assured into his chest, afraid of what exactly had her dad this upset.

It was ironic really, Castle should have been the one consoling his daughter, but here she was trying to ease her father's tears. "Something horrible-I can't-"

"Shh, it's okay, take a deep breath. Did you make a mistake?" Castle shook his head. "Is someone hurt?" No response and Alexis' heart stuttered, "Who?" It was just above a whisper.

"Last night, Ryan and Espo were k-kidnapped..." Castle stumbled over the word because every time they talked about it directly, it just made everything more real.

Alexis' eyes widened and it took a moment for her to put her words together, "Maybe they're not gonna hurt them, you know? Ransom maybe?" She rubbed her dad's shoulder, but felt tears welling up herself.

She loved Ryan and Esposito; they were the older brothers she always wanted- checking out boyfriend's pasts, driving her to concerts and other events out of Manhattan when her Dad was busy and giving into her every need along the way. She loved when they came over to the loft to just hang.

Castle shook his head, "They...they took them to hurt them; they've all ready started." Castle winced at her sharp intake of breath and answered her unasked question. "They sent a video...they're going to each time they hurt them."

Alexis kissed her dad's cheek, his stubble slightly rough on her lips. "You'll find them, you always do."

Castle laughed humorlessly before he spoke, "I don't know if we'll be able to before it's too late. Already, they made Kevin suffer through water again, but this time worse."

"That took like four months to bring him back fully last time." Alexis voice was brittle; tears threatening to spill.

"I know, baby." Castle squeezed his eyes shut and reopened them wishing this was all just a nightmare. Unfortunately, Castle knew no amount of wishing or begging would help them now.

By the time Castle reentered the living room with a red eyed Alexis, Jenny was crying openly into Martha's arms.

"It's okay to cry, dear." Martha whispered to assuage the blonde's snivels.

Jenny lifted her head when the two entered the room, she locked eyes with Alexis and for a moment they just stared at each other until the younger rushed to her side and engulfed her in a hug. "Oh, Jenny, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, don't be." Jenny rubbed the girl's back before trying to draw her misery away by looking into her baby daughter's eyes.

Alexis' eyes followed her gaze and her face was augmented with a soft smile. "How's Sarah holding on?"

Jenny sniffled, glad to have the attention on something other than her missing husband and his best friend, "She doesn't even know what's going on."

Alexis nodded gratefully and turned to face her father, "Hey, Dad, how about you heat up some chicken for dinner. I think Jenny could use some food."

Castle nodded, but waited for the inevitable argument from Jenny that she wasn't going to nurture herself while Ryan and Esposito were hardly getting enough of the basics to live.

Alexis offered to hold Sarah so Jenny could excuse herself to the bathroom and fix up. She carried the peaceful baby into the kitchen and silently watched her father preheating the oven.

"Dad...what..." Alexis' sentence fumbled through her throat even though she knew exactly what she wanted to ask in her head. "How long, I mean, do you think you'll rescue them before..."

Castle caught where she was going with her question and shook his head, "Don't even think that. We'll have them safe and sound by tomorrow."

"Dad, I may be your daughter, but that doesn't mean I'm still a kid. I know what's going on." The wisdom beyond her years stung Castle because she was right, and trying to tone down the danger Ryan and Espo were in wouldn't be helping anyone. "I mean, do you even have any clue as to where they were taken."

Castle felt the hope swell when he could answer the girl with a positive truth, "Long Island and Ryan was taken in a Blue Ram, no doubt Espo taken in a similar car and they would have been driving close. I'm just waiting on Beckett to see if she's found anything."

As if angels were listening above waiting to answer some desperate soul's prayer, Castle's phone began to buzz and Beckett's ringtone filled the air.

Castle gave his daughter a hopeful smile and answered the phone with a quick, "Castle," out of habit.

"Castle," Beckett's voice was breathless. "I think I found something."

"Beckett!" Demming's shout was the first thing to Beckett allowed to disturb her work all night.

She swiveled her chair 180 degrees her wide eyes pleading Demming to have found anything. "What?"

He dashed to the side of her desk and sprawled several pictures out on her desk. "4 Blue Rams reported stolen in the area in the last three months, from Queens, Yonkers, Bronx and Brooklyn."

Beckett's bloodshot eyes scanned the pictures and took in every detail possible.

"License plates?" Beckett asked as she shuffled through the reports now in her hands.

"Already ran, and those three have left Manhattan on the George Washington Bridge in the past day." Demming pulled the fourth from her view.

Beckett nodded, finally feeling like her team was actually accomplishing something, "Okay, I want these license plates checked for _anywhere_ on Long Island."

Demming agreed and confirmed that they were running the plates but wouldn't get any exact results until the morning.

Beckett sighed and was annoyed to have a speed bump thrown in their path, but it was better than the previous red light.

"I'm gonna call Castle and see if he knows any spots that could hide people in some kind of building without raising questions on Long Island." She was already reaching for her phone.

"Good idea, I'll bring this to Gates and have her call the Nassau and Suffolk PDs to keep their eyes out."

Beckett nodded as the phone rang, "Also, Officer Wilson lives on the Island, bring him in. I want to see if he knows any good places on the Island as well."

Right as Castle answered, Demming was running back towards the way he came with a mission that he wouldn't and just couldn't afford to fail.

"Castle, I think I found something." A small smile lifted her lips as she rushed out of the bullpen and precinct to find the nearest newsstand that sold maps.

Esposito cringed at the next shiver that painfully shook his partner's body. It had been hours, maybe more or maybe less, since they were thrown into this pathetic excuse of a cage.

Ryan's skin was still cold, but had vastly improved with the help of Esposito's body heat. His partner was still wrapped in his arms, Esposito afraid that even one minute away from the contact that his partner's shivering and overall hypothermia would increase. Ryan's body could not seem to go ten minutes without at least one terrifying shiver.

But on the plus side, at least his skin was no longer tinged blue and his teeth had stopped chattering.

Esposito desperately craved sleep, but there was no way in Hell that he was going to sleep leaving both of them vulnerable to the two crazy d-bags in the other room. Espo was more than willing to let Ryan take as long as he needed for his rest even though the Irishman's mind had other plans.

Suddenly Ryan started to twist, moan and mumble in his partner's grip. Espo was grateful that the nightmares had waited this long to form, but that didn't make it any less difficult for him to watch his partner trapped inside his mind trying his hardest to fight away the demons, but ultimately.

The Latino tried to ease him into consciousness with soft whispers and small shakes, not that he'd notice either over his own movements. It wasn't until a certain choked out yell that Espo used his full force to wake up his partner. "_Javi!_"

Espo felt like crying himself as he watched his partner call for him in his sleep, but didn't. He needed to stay strong for Ryan.

"Ryan. Kev, c'mon, it's a nightmare. Kevin!" His last shout thankfully woke up the troubled sleeper and his hands immediately reached out to grab Espo.

"J-Javi?" He was blinking his eyes several times before he was fully alert now remembering where they were. "What?" He looked down to where his hands were pressing up against his partner's bare chest and quickly pulled them back.

His just as naked, only a bit more sweatier back slammed into the iron bars of the cage as he apologized in mumbles.

"S'okay, bro, it was just a nightmare. I get 'em all the time." His eyes were soft and naturally calmed Ryan down again and pulled away from the corner of the cage.

Because of the cramped space, his shoulder was pressed against Espo's, but neither complained. To be honest, after what they went through, they were both more than eager to indulge in whatever physical contact they could get.

"Wanna talk about it?" Esposito whispered, expecting a 'no' like the first few weeks after the nightmares after Lockwood, but got the opposite.

It took Ryan a minute or so to pull himself together, but Espo didn't rush him; giving him all the time he needed to pull his thoughts together. "There was water," Ryan gulped. "Lots of water. You were there...I was there, but, you...you couldn't save me." He shook his head and Espo was shocked to see tears pouring down his face although he wasn't making a sound. "I was drowning, Javi, and all you could do was watch."

"Look at me, Kevin." Esposito made sure to make his voice sound stern, but caring at the same time. "I'm fine, you're okay. As long as I can help it nothing in this world will ever stop me from saving you. _Nothing._ Do you understand?"

Ryan sniffled with a miserable moan feeling like a kid that needed a nightlight to keep the monsters away. Unfortunately, he was a grown man and the monsters were in the room next to him instead of under the bed.

"I know, I'm sorry, Javi."

Ryan's broken voice broke Espo's heart, "Don't apologize. We'll get out of this. You told Castle and Beckett what you heard."

Ryan nodded, "Yeah."

"Then they're on their way." Espo finished as he rubbed the Irishman's thigh comfortingly.

When the door across from the cage creaked open to reveal Lester, Espo pulled his hand back to get into a stance that was supposed to be intimidating, but the cage really ruined it.

"Ah, how are my two favorite pets doing?" Lester grinned heinously as he approached the cage.

"Bite me." Esposito spat as he inconspicuously moved to cover his partner.

Lester rolled his eyes, "Don't get yourself too excited, big boy. I'm just here to deliver the meal," He kneeled down and shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing too fancy, just enough to keep you two from starving and beating us to the fun of watching the life leave you."

Espo eyed the two (dog?) bowls; one was filled with funky looking water and the other had two slices of bread. Now they were just trying to humiliate them; all they needed were matching collars to complete their set with the cage and dog bowls. Espo wouldn't be surprised to see Anders walk in with two shock collars, to be honest.

"Eat up, faggots." He spit down on the bowls before roughly shoving it through two bars of the cage.

Espo didn't move from his spot, and kept his glare on the psychotic man wishing his death stare could actually kill.

"Go to Hell." Espo growled menacingly.

Lester just laughed, brushing him off because really what would those two failures of NYPD detectives do to him in a cage? "Don't worry, I'll be back for some more fun tomorrow."

Espo waited until the door was fully sealed before moving from his spot in front of Ryan.

"Espo, I'm not a baby." Ryan said using his surname to show that he was not okay with his partner treating him like an invalid.

Espo sighed, "I'm sorry, bro, I just..." He wasn't sure how he was supposed to describe the need to keep his partner safe without making him feel useless and weak.

Ryan waved him off with the smallest smile he's ever seen on his partner, but at least it was a smile. "It's okay, bro, I get it. Thanks."

Espo shoved his shoulder gently into Ryan's as the silence overcame the room.

Espo toed the bowls with his foot idly, "You think it's safe?" He could feel his tongue practically swollen in his mouth as his body yearned to be hydrated.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think they'd poison us, like he said, he wants to have _fun_. He can't if we die from the food." Ryan gulped and screwed his eyes shut trying to force the look of Lester and Ander's face every time they talked about all the 'fun' they were going to have. It made Ryan want to throw up.

Espo nodded in agreement before slowly reaching to pluck one of the slice's of bread from the bowl. He felt it was stale in some spots, but it was clear of mold so Espo tentatively took a bite of the bread.

Ryan watched him slowly chew and harshly swallow as he reached for his, "S'good as we're gonna get, I guess."

Ryan tried the bread as well and while it was stale and scratched his already raw throat, Ryan's body was pleased to have some kind of food being digested.

Espo turned to the water bowl next, but shook his head. "I don't care how thirsty I am, they will not get the satisfaction of me lapping up this water like a goddamn dog!"

"Just cup your hands then and bring it to your mouth. There's not much, but should be just enough to reach your palms." Ryan inspected the bowl, but kept a safe distance away.

Espo sighed and narrowed his eyes at the demeaning bowl before cupping some water and leaning over to meet his hands halfway. The water hit his tongue and throat and for a moment, Espo swore he had won the lotto, he felt so good. He took three more sips before turning to his partner who was avoiding the bowl it seemed.

"Your turn, bro." Espo nudged the bowl towards him but was careful to not spill any water.

"No thanks...I...water just um, yeah, not right now. I'm good." He stuttered nervously looking anywhere but the water or his partner.

"You're not _good_, bro." Espo narrowed his eyes, "Stop being a stubborn son of a bitch and drink. I will not have you dehydrating with me around to save you. Just drink."

Ryan shook his head, "I've already had plenty of water, Javier, I don't need any." His voice didn't quiver as he argued back.

"Goddamn it, Kev, you didn't drink any of it! You choked and it went into your lungs! Your body got none of it and without water, you will die, so just drink the water please! It's not going to hurt you, I'm right here." Espo was now pleading with his partner.

Ryan looked up at his partner, his eyes filled with shame for being such a pathetic wimp. "Okay," He nodded his head and repeated it again, but even firmer this time, "Okay, I will."

"Good, bro, the rest is yours. I had my share." Espo lifted the bowl up for Ryan since the Irishman was still too weak to hold himself up for an extended period of time. Espo hesitated before he continued to lift it, "You okay with drinking it from the bowl, just me here and I won't bring it up again."

Ryan shook his head, "I know you won't, it's fine just, just bring it close." He refused to look his partner in the eyes as he sipped the water from the dog bowl that Espo was tilting upwards.

Ryan choked on the first gulp, the water coming back out and dripping down his chin, "I'm sorry, Javi." His voice cracked and Espo patted his back to get the remains of the water that went down the wrong pipe.

"Just take your time, Kev, it's okay." Espo tilted it again to give Ryan the rest.

Ryan nodded with his eyes closed before sealing his lips around the rim of the bowl and slowly and carefully took in a small mouthful of the warm water. It stung his throat, but he could practically feel his headache lessening as he drank.

Only four sips each (three for Ryan because he choked on the first) was not enough for them though and it left them craving more.

"We'll be okay...they're coming." Ryan repeated Esposito's words from earlier.

Espo sighed and the last of his bread in the back corner of the cage, motioning for Ryan to do the same. "We can last without food for a while, I don't know if they'll give us more. Water they have to give us at least every other day."

Ryan put his bread into the bowl in the corner alongside Espo's. it was disgusting what they had to do, ration out a piece of stale fucking bread because who knew when the next time they were going to be fed.

"Hey, Espo?" Ryan whispered staring down at his pale chest, "I'm sorry for being such a pathetic cop. I know I apologized last time, but I'd at least like to say it when I can actually remember what I said."

Espo sighed because there was nothing that Ryan needed to apologize for, but he didn't seem to understand that.

"I'm always the weak link, as a kid, high school, Narc, Homicide, when we're taken hostage. I'm a failure and can't even take care of myself."

Espo used his fingers to turn Ryan's head up to face him, "Stop, I said the same thing last night. Man, you are the strongest man I have ever met. All this 'I'm weak and pathetic' bullshit is just that- bullshit! You lasted months undercover with the Irish mob and went back after they thought you ran out on them. Not one man without a pair of balls would ever risk their life like that! And all the times you've been shot and stabbed and beat, you've pulled through! Those dip shits are just trying to hurt you so when we get out of here, you'll still think about it and blame yourself until you drive yourself crazy. _Please,_ don't fall for his mind games."

Ryan finally met his partner's eyes, seemingly understanding that he wasn't at all holding his partner back. They both knew that without the other, they were sure to fail, but together nothing could break them. "I won't."

"Promise?" Espo stuck his pinky out with a shy smile.

Ryan nodded and matched a smile to Espo's and locked their pinkies together, "I promise."

Castle woke up from his restless slumber when 3:00 blinked steadily on his alarm clock. He shifted to find the spot next to him vacant as it was when he fell asleep.

It was 3 in three in the morning and Beckett still wasn't sleeping. Her shift was over, so she wasn't in the 12th still.

A faint sound of rustling papers coming from the living room caused Castle to moan and push himself out of bed. He had just gotten Jenny to bed an hour or so ago and he really just wanted to sleep so in the morning he was alert and able.

Jenny's words shoved themselves back into his mind, _"I can't sleep! No! He's tied to a wall! I don't deserve a bed!"_ Her cries took her two hours to calm, and only when Castle said that she would wake Sarah did she finally pass out.

But, he refused to give into her thoughts because really it would do them no good at all. Without sleep, there was no way possible for them to actively search for their two partners.

He tied his robe securely around his underwear clad body before stumbling out through the hall into the living room. When his eyes finally adjusted themselves to the light, he could see his fiancé diligently scribbling away on a large piece of paper in front of her.

"Kate..." He said softly from the doorway before walking to sit next to her.

"Castle, I can't go to sleep when there's so much to be done. We narrowed down the Vans...I just need to find open fields in Long Island. Somewhere to hide them..." Her eyes were scanning the marked up map not blinking at all.

"Kate, you need sleep. This isn't your fault." Castle wrapped her in a hug and dragged her from the edge of the couch.

"If I hadn't dragged them-"

"Don't even go there. The only way they wouldn't have helped you was if they didn't know about any of this, and don't you dare tell me that not knowing those two at all is better than this. Sure they're hurt, but they're strong; they can make it through this. You know those two idiots wouldn't stop helping you if their lives depended on it." He cringed at his poor choice of words, but Beckett didn't seem to notice.

She sniffled loudly into his shoulder, "I just don't want them hurt, Castle. They can get better from a few bruises, but it's the mental part of them that I don't want to get hurt. PTSD, nightmares and not to mention whatever the fuck happens as a result for all this."

"Don't give up, Kate, like you said; they're strong and I know Ryan and Esposito aren't going to give up that easy." He kissed Beckett's head softly and felt the familiar scent of her hair relax his nerves just a bit.

"Yeah, you're right."

"I know, so let's get some rest. We're going to have to be fully rested if we're going to be chasing down Vans. Both metaphoricallyk and literally." Castle added with a small smile making Beckett unable to hide her smile.

He carried her into their bedroom and flopped down into bed, Beckett not even making it under tbe covers before passing out. Castle smiled softly and lifted the sheets to cover his sleeping lover. He kissed her forehead lightly and whispered, "Goodnight, sweetheart."

Castle cuddled her into his chest and allowed her soothing breathing to wash away the potential nightmares, too tired to even think twice about them.


	8. Impossibly Alone

The next morning Beckett and Castle were both up early, and out of the house before Jenny was even awake. They knew she'd probably join them later, but right now she could use all the sleep she could get.

On the drive to the precinct, they tried to narrow down any worthwhile hiding spots on Long Island.

"You know what I'm confused about..." Castle said when he stopped at a red light.

Beckett sensing that he was onto something raised her head from the map in her lap and looked at him, "What?"

Castle drummed his finger along the steering biting his lip, "How did those two physco know all of that stuff that Ryan did? I mean sure, he could hack into the system and get reports before with Bracken and the strings he could pull...but how did he know the details?"

"You think there's a rat in the 12th?" Beckett voiced his conclusion.

Castle nodded hesitantly, "I don't think anyone close to us, but close enough to still know."

Beckett sighed dropping her head in her hands, "That's possible; I was thinking of it last night and if we're right then we're in trouble."

Castle nodded as the light turned green so he could continue the drive towards the precinct. "That's why if-_when_ we figure this out, I think we should keep it between us."

Beckett bit her lip because that would solve their problem even though it would be so much easier to have the whole 12th knowing so they could all put their thoughts into it. But, this was something she was not going to risk, "Okay, from now on it stays between you, me, Demming and Gates."

Castle sighed hating that it had to come down to this, but if there really was a rat they had to be careful.

"I figured today we'd check out the reports that Demming got back and if we notice anything, we'll head to the Island and check it out." Castle pulled into the parking lot, never feeling so eager to get to work.

"Good idea, the trip out of the City may take some convincing, but we should be able to." Beckett folded up the map and shoved it into her purse before walking towards the 12th's front door with much larger strides than usual.

Castle and Beckett made up to the Homicide floor in record time and immediately sat at her desk to start working.

Beckett turned around to face their white board once used for murders, now covered in the case. She reread it for what must have been the 100th time in the past day and still nothing shot out at her.

Ryan and Espo's faces were staring right back at her, them being the victims of this case and it killed Beckett a little more each time she looked.

Hopefully the reports that Demming would have delivered soon would reveal something about where they had taken them.

As if on cue, right as she was about to turn to dial Demming's number, he was at her side with reports in his hands.

"Only 2 were spotted," He didn't even wait for a good morning or give one before he got down to business. He pulled out the first one, "This one was seen parked in front of house in Amityville and the only reason we know this is because it got a parking ticket."

Beckett nodded, still a bit wary about this because would they really be stupid enough to hide them in a house in a suburbia? Either way, she pulled out her all already frayed map and circled the town and scribbled the address in the margin. "And the other?"

"Spotted in a gas station outside of East Islip before it disappeared. That one's a little more suspicious, but there's not much to go on. And for all we know, neither one could be them." Demming sighed as he showed her the second file.

Beckett's ears perked at the East Islip having remembered the town from her late night narrowing down any plausible hideaways.

"We'll check out both." Beckett nodded with a smile before calling for Castle.

"Wait? You're going? Don't you think you should have Suffolk and Nassau check it out first?" Demming was quick on his feet as he followed her around the bullpen to just outside the elevator with Castle by her side.

"No, we need to figure this out, Demming." Beckett pushed the button more than once, already growing restless.

"Shouldn't you at least tell the Captain?" Demming casted a nervous glance towards Gate's office.

"She'll say no." Castle rolled his eyes, "If she asks, we're checking out a lead or something. Just cover us."

Demming sighed and shook his head at the author, but agreed, "Fine, but only because I know you're doing this all for the right reason."

Anders was about to walk into the room where they were keeping their NYPD pets when Lester came in with his ringing cell phone. "S'him."

Anders nodded and pulled the phone to his ear after answering, "What is it, boy?"

"Sir, they're on their way to you now..." The voice on the other end warned him.

"What? How on earth could they possibly have found us?" Anders was about to relocate everything until his informant reassured him.

"No, you're fine, just get ride of the van. They followed that lead to Long Island. The fucking Mick told them you took him in a blue Ram to Long Island." His whisper was filled with frustration.

"How?!" Anders yelled because they weren't supposed to know any of that!

"When he was screaming in that foreign tongue, man, wife understood everything."

"I'm gonna fucking kill him. That bastard is going to pay." Anders' yell had turned into a flat tone filled with promise. "You call me back the second they get back in that precinct; I'll have a show ready they won't wanna miss."

The other man on the line knew that Anders was pissed and he was just glad he wasn't either one of the two cops they were holding. Because if they thought they were in Hell yesterday...just wait till they see him mad.

Castle desperately tried to catch his breath as his legs continued to drag him across the long hallway. His lungs begging for relief and a chance to catch some air.

But he couldn't stop, they were after him. And it wasn't himself he was worried about, he was terrified for the little girl in his arms.

Castle promised Ryan that he would protect Sarah from all harm and he wasn't doing a very good job at it.

"It'll be okay, Sarah," Castle whispered to the bawling baby in his arms. Only a few more steps and then they'd be in the room where Ryan and Esposito were being kept. He'd give the baby to her father and then take down the lunatic that was chasing him at the moment.

Just as a bullet rang by his head, he slammed open the door to a dark room with only a faint light shining above two broken figures.

"Kevin! Javier!" Castle's scream ripped through his throat when he realized the two detectives were dead, surrounded by a lake of their own blood.

Sarah's screams only intensified when she saw her father and his partner even though she didn't understand.

He felt his heart shatter into a million pieces and everything around him turned into a dull gray as he fell to his knees. He didn't even care when Anders burst through the door pointing a gun at him; he gave up caring. He hoped that this man shot him here to end all this pain.

He heard the shot and prepared for the pain, but it never came. He looked down at his chest in confusion expecting to see a gaping hole in his chest but was met by a much worse sight.

Sarah Grace, he had forgotten all about her in his arms. He had shot the baby and she had no idea what had happened; her cries silenced and her blue glassy eyes staring up at him lifelessly.

"No!" Castle screamed finally breaking down, his tears pouring out of his eyes like a leaking dam. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He continued to cry into the bundle in his arms until a familiar voice kept calling his name.

_"Castle!"_

Castle shot up in the seat, sweat and tears beading down his face as he looked widely around trying to figure out where he was.

Road. Seatbelt. Windows. Car. Right, Beckett and he were driving to Long Island...they didn't find Ryan and Esposito dead and Sarah Grace was home safely sleeping.

It took several moments for Castle to calm his breathing and when he finally did he realized that he was still crying.

"Oh my God." He muttered slumping down in his seat and closing his eyes trying to chase the lingering nightmare away.

He noticed Kate's concerned stare as she tried to split her time between and driving and checking to see if he was okay.

"It was just a nightmare, Castle, you're okay..." Kate took a hand off the wheel to grab Castle's hand in hers.

Of course it was just a nightmare, but that doesn't make it any less real, Castle thought bitterly. He sighed and squeezed his fiancé's hand, "I know."

"We're going to find them, Castle, I don't care what we have to do. We will find them." She said determinedly as she continued to drive down the road. Castle only saw houses surrounded him, so he guessed that Beckett had crossed into Long Island while he was sleeping.

"We're only ten minutes from that house that the Blue Ram was seem in front of." She sighed, "I hope it's it, but something is telling me it's not."

Castle hated to agree, but she was right, "I think we're chasing our tails right now. Maybe it's them, but I'm 90% sure it's a bust." Castle watched her grind her teeth ever so slightly, "I know it's most likely a blind lead, but damn it, we can't just sit around and wait."

Castle's insides churned just having to imagine what they were be forced through right now. He knew exactly why they had chosen to torture Ryan instead of Espo, Espo was ex-military and could handle a beating; he was trained to. But, Ryan wasn't, and using water, what was already a trigger for him made it even easier.

Castle swallowed back the lump and wiped the wayward tears off his cheeks. "We're close," Castle noted, obviously changing the subject. He took the map in his hands and found where Beckett had written the address amongst man other marks and writing. "Just down this block."

Beckett nodded and when she continued down the road to see a Blue Ram in front of the house she was finally getting anxious. Castle noticed this and warned her, "Kate, don't go assuming _anything_, we don't know. And this really isn't our jurisdiction so please watch what you do."

"I'll be fine, Castle." Kate said quickly not even taking her eyes off the van. She pulled behind the van less than graceful and was out of the car in a minute.

Castle groaned as she went straight for the van, looking in the windows trying to see if she saw anything out of the norm. Castle walked behind her and put an arm around her waist, "Kate, if this was the right one then they wouldn't be in here; they'd be inside."

That seemed to get Beckett to snap her fixation away from the van. "You're right."

Castle nodded and held her hand tightly as they walked up the path together. Castle refused to let her get ahead of him and do something stupid.

When they reached the door, Beckett's hand shot out and knocked harshly three times before dropping her arm back down to her side and restlessly waiting.

A moment later the door opened to reveal a brunette woman with a baby clutching to her side. "May I help you?" The woman asked with a smile as she readjusted her hold on her baby so she didn't fall.

"I'm Detective Beckett and this is my partner, we just have some questions about that van in the front if you don't mind answering." Castle would actually have to commend Beckett at how calm she sounded.

"Oh yes, come right in." She opened the door wider and allowed Castle and Beckett to step into her home. "Excuse the mess," She cringed as she stepped over toy after toy.

Castle smiled and shook his head, "It's not a mess, you've got kids; what do you expect?" He remembered when Alexis's toys filled the loft and he was always finding a doll shoved in the most random places.

"Yes, well Ramona is supposed to be cleaning up her dolls." She said loudly, so Castle assumed she was saying it so Ramona would hear.

Castle smiled as sounds of bare fest running against the wood floor came from the hall. A little girl, probably 6 or 7 came running into the living room. She had big brown eyes and the same long, dark hair as her mother.

"But mommy, I'm not done!" She whined from her spot where there happened to be no toys surprisingly.

"Ryan will help you clean." The mother said putting the other little girl, had to be 4 years old, on the floor besides her sister. "Mommy needs to talk to these nice Police Officers, so you two clean."

They both moaned and groaned as they started to pick up all their toys. Castle was tempted to bend down and help, but the woman was already suggesting they continue this in the kitchen.

They sat around a table and she offered them the plate of cookies that was already there, presumably from her daughters. Castle smiled and gratefully took a cookie as Beckett started the questioning.

"Are you aware that van is stolen, Ms...?"

The woman's eyes widened, "You can call me Alice, but with the van I mean I assumed so, but didn't know for sure."

Castle and Beckett remained quiet, urging her to continue, "Well, the day before yesterday I saw it pull up in front of the house and naturally I kept my eye on it. Tim was at work and I wasn't expecting anyone. A man and a woman stepped out, more like ran out and down the street as fast as they could. Never came back for it, so I called the police and they said they'd come pick it up. I'm assuming you aren't here to pick it up?"

Beckett sighed with a shake of her head, "No...we're involved in a case searching for a Blue van just like that one but we seem to have the wrong one."

Alice's eyes softened, "I'm sorry, it seems like this is important just by the look of disappointment on your faces...I'm sorry I couldn't have been more help."

Castle smiled, his natural curiosity taking over, "You can read faces, I didn't think Detective Beckett gave much away."

Alice smile and explained, "I'm a physiatrist."

"That explains it," Castle smiled glad that his curiosity had been fed.

"Is there anything else-" Right as Alice began to talk, a sudden bang and crying sounded from the living room.

"Oh no," Alice said about to get to her feet, but her daughters came running into the kitchen instead. The older, Ramona, had her arms wrapped around the younger as she cried and held her finger.

"Mama!" Ryan cried as she ran into her arms.

Ramona immediately started to tell what happened when her mother gave her the look, "She was just putting away a doll in the trunk and she closed it on her finger."

Alice sighed and pulled her daughter in her lap, "Ryan, baby girl, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful? That's the third time this week."

"I'm sorry, mommy, I tried to grab the top before it fell." She had tears pouring down her face as she watched her little sister in pain.

Castle decided that Alice had her hands full and wanted to help her out. Remembering how he used to calm down Alexis (except most of the time it was because they were playing something stupid and Castle was the one to get hurt, but she'd feel like it was her fault. Castle really just did something idiotic most of the time, but his daughter didn't understand), he kneeled in front of the 7 year old and made sure to gain eye contact. "Hey, Ramona, it's okay. It wasn't your fault. That wasn't your fault, just because you were there doesn't mean you were able to protect her. She'll be okay, don't worry."

Ramona sniffled the last of tears away, "You think?"

Castle smiled and gave her a light hug, "I know."

He stood up as the girl subsided her tears and her mother mouthed 'thank you' as she calmed down her youngest daughter.

Castle glanced sideways at Beckett as she nervously sat, he could tell she wanted to get out of her and look for the next van.

"Well, we better be heading out. We're pressed for time with this case." Castle dusted off his knees and stood up in a swift motion.

Alice frowned sympathetically, "I can see that, I'm very sorry I couldn't be of more help." She stood up to follow the two to the door.

"Please don't hesitate calling if you see anything suspicious around here." Beckett stood up as well, handing the woman her card.

Alice took it with an outstretched hand and exchanged it for one of her own, "Same to you, I could really help with any problems you may come across during your case."

Castle was grateful that she didn't directly say that Beckett needed to talk about everything; it was really taking a toll on her head. And even Alice knew after a case that had a NYPD detective this rattled, they may just need to talk to someone.

Beckett pocketed the card with a grimace, but genuinely thanked her either way.

As they stepped out the door, Castle took one last look at the two little girls curled up on the living room couch. "Tell Ryan I hope she feels better,"

"Oh, I will, thank you." Alice smiled before wishing them a safe trip home.

Castle and Beckett said their respective goodbyes before heading to their car. Once inside they sat for a moment, neither saying a word until Beckett broke the silence.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Castle. Everywhere we go is a dead end." Her head his the backrest with a soft thud.

"We'll figure this out, we're close, i know it." Castle extended a hand to rest on her knee.

"Yeah? What if she's right? Alice," Beckett clarified what 'she' she was referring to, "What if when we get them back, they're broken beyond repair? You remember how lost Kevin and Javier were last time and that was just for a few hours."

"They have each other and they know we're coming, they'll be okay. Sure, it may take some time, but we'll get them back. I know it." Castle kissed her cheek softly and started the car.

"What do we do now?" She whispered leaning into his kiss so she could wrap her arms around him briefly.

"We're heading back to the city," He said sternly, "It's already close to one; we'll get back by two and have a quick lunch and call the other van into Suffolk County PD." Castle sensed a coming argument so he shook his head, "We don't know where that van went after the gas station, chasing it would be a waste of gas and time."

"We could canvas-" Beckett tried to argue, but Castle knew he was putting his foot down on this.

"No, we're going back to the 12th and besides, just in case we..." We swallowed thickly around the next words, "get a video...we want to be there and Jenny's probably going to get there soon."

Beckett sighed because she knew Castle was right. It would be just dumb for them to keep driving endlessly around Long Island.

"Just, take a nap while I drive this time." Castle said softly placing a kiss to her head before straightening to start driving. He waited until Beckett complied and laid down along the seat with her eyes shut before he started to drive. He just hoped her dreams wouldn't be filled with horrifying nightmares like his was.

A loud gun shot woke up both Esposito and Ryan the next morning.

Ryan blinked his eyes trying to push away the last of his hypothermia and his oncoming pneumonia to become alert at the sound. Esposito immediately threw his own body over Ryan's, being much more conscious than his partner and realizing it was a fucking gun shot.

He looked up wide eyed at the men in front of him, "What the fuck?!"

"You wish I put this bullet through his heart when you see what I have coming." His voice wasn't that insane 'I'm-happy-when-torturing-and-I'm-so-excited', but instead it was just angry. And if Esposito said he wasn't scared a bit, he was lying.

"Unlock the cage, Lester." Anders growled as he held the gun loose by his side.

Esposito's eyes tracked the man's movement's as he bent over to unlock the lock with the key he held firmly in his grasp. Espo wished that lock was a combo lock, so that he could easily figure out the combination by just trying it the old fashioned way and listening for the slight 'pop' as he messed around with it. Picking it would be ten times harder since neither had bobby pins or another needle.

Once the door creaked open, Lester leaned and yanked Espo out by his ear, the sudden pain caused him to let go of his partner. "Fuck." He groaned when Lester threw him aside.

Next Lester leaned back to get the half-conscious Irishman, but when he was dragged out by his hair he seemed to gain most of his alertness back.

Anders shoved Lester and pointed at the door, "Get into the fucking room now." He was staring at Espo as he said the words.

"You'll have to drag me there if you want me to go anywhere." He spat back defiantly.

Without looking away from the Latino's face, Anders cocked the gun and pointed it directly at his partner, "I said, to get in that fucking room."

Espo looked over at his partner who just seemed to register that a gun was being pressed against his forehead as his wide eyes looked over at Espo. Esposito slapped himself mentally and without hesitation he pushed up to stand, though he wavered from the slight nauseous feeling. They really needed more than a slice of bread and four sips of water in two days.

He weakly nodded and began to walk towards the door with his hands raised, "Okay, okay, I'm going. There's no need to shoot."

Anders narrowed his eyes and pressed the gun harder into his skull, "Go!" He barked causing Kevin to whimper slightly scared that any moment a bullet would lodge itself in his brain.

"Can I help him? He can barely walk." Espo gestured to his partner.

"No." Anders spat and then grinned sickly, "I would have allowed it, knowing how much you two just can't keep your hands of each other and it turns me on, it really does." Esposito scrunched his face in disgust at that comment. "But he's in need of correcting."

"What the Hell are you talking about?" Esposito asked angrily.

"You don't think I didn't know what you did? Fucking telling your little friends in a different language?" He shook his head.

Espo saw his partner pale, which was terrifying considering how pale he was already. He felt himself pale as well and his stomach plummeted.

"You're crazy, he called you a fucking pathetic piece of trash." Espo tried so desperately to get the attention off his partner.

"Then how do they know we're here, huh?! Tell me!" He screamed finally pulling the gun from Ryan to wave it at Espo. Espo remained quiet and then Anders yelled, "Exactly!"

Lester shoved Ryan off his knees, "Get in the room, faggot." Ryan felt the air whoosh from his already struggling lungs when his chest slammed into the ground.

Espo narrowed his eyes at him, "You're the one to call him a faggot when you're the one who's this guy's bitch." He threw a thumb towards Anders.

The next thing Espo felt was a sudden burst of pain and white overtook his vision and he was on the ground at their feet.

"When we're done with you, neither of you will even think about talking back to us. We will sear it into your brains." Anders sent a kick into Esposito's stomach.

"Keep dreaming, honey." Espo gasped out trying to push himself back up.

Anders ignored him and looked over at Lester, "Get that one to move."

Lester nodded with a smile, "My pleasure." And with that, he started to send kick after kick into Ryan's ribs.

Ryan tried to protect him stomach, but his hands got kicked away. "Go to Hell." Ryan muttered as he held his ground.

Espo watched with wide eyes and quickly rose to his feet and tackled Lester to the ground, "Fuck you!" Espo delivered three strong punches before he was thrown off of the man.

Lester stood up, barely acknowledging his swelling eye and shoved both Ryan and Espo forward. "Go."

Espo looked over Ryan and cringed at his purple stomach, but urged him to stand, this time he made sure he was to help his partner walk across the room.

Even if they were walking towards a new world of pain, at least they knew Castle and Beckett were on their way.

Jenny had been sitting at her husband's desk for only an hour or so waiting for Beckett and Castle to return. She woke up to see they had left hours earlier and couldn't really be upset with them, they were trying to find the boys. She left Sarah with Alexis, asking the girl to watch on her while she went to the precinct.

Jenny was swiping her fingers across everything on his desk, it just screamed Kevin. His system (that she didn't really understand, but he did so she let it go) of paperwork was neatly arranged from his last time in the bullpen. She saw the tickets to the Yankee game that Kevin was surprising Javier with next month for his birthday.

But, the picture frame on his desk hurt the most; it was taken only 2 or 3 months prior during one of Castle's barbecues at his Hampton house. Beckett had snapped the picture when her and Kevin had been trying to teach Sarah to talk, Sarah was in her arms and the baby was extending her arms towards her father that was mid-falling into the pool because his partner grabbed his t-shirt from behind him in the pool.

That day Sarah said her first word and much to both of her parent's distaste, she had said "Jav'!" Javier _still_ didn't let them hear the end of it.

She didn't even notice she was crying until she felt a soothing touch to her shoulder and a voice whisper. "We'll get them back." Jenny didn't hear Castle and Beckett come through the elevator and into the bullpen.

Jenny turned around and handed the picture to Castle as he sat in the seat beside her husband's desk. She smiled and pointed at the picture. "Can you believe Sarah said Javier's name first? He still uses that against Kevin." She sucked in a deep breath, "God, I miss them."

Castle smiled and brought her into a hug, "It's okay, everything is going to be okay if we keep believing."

Jenny nodded tearfully into Castle's chest, thankful that her husband had the three most greatest friends in the world. She wouldn't trust anyone else in the world other than them.

Beckett by her side and offered her support as well, "I know it hurts right now and you don't think it'll get any better, but it will." Beckett smiled weakly trying to even though she knew it wouldn't help ease her stress and worry at all.

Demming and his partner, Lankston were standing by the Captain's office waiting for the three to let go of their hug until Demming cleared his throat, "We called it into the SCPD."

Lankston nodded and offered a sympathetic frown, "They said they'd keep an eye out for _anything_."

"Good," Beckett stood trying to collect herself so she wasn't still crying in front of anyone other than the immediate family. "Let's-"

Just as she was about to start up another part of their investigation, all of the monitors all turned to black before the heart shattering feed of Ryan and Esposito both chained to chairs, much more bloody and bruised than the day before filled the screen.


	9. Give Up Hope

"Good afternoon, detectives. How are you? Tuckered out from the trip, hmm?" Beckett's blood ran cold when she heard Anders mention their trip. So they _did_ have a rat in precinct, but who? Castle gave her a look meaning he was thinking the exact same thing.

Beckett gulped nervously at the screen; Ryan and Esposito were tied to chairs and bloody like before, but what really scared her was the cart in between them. It was covered in knives, hammers, pliers and other disturbing tools.

They were both shirtless, Beckett noted, and she could see the bruises they've been getting. Making their torsos look like a coloring book that children carelessly scribbled on using different shades of black, blue, purple, green and yellow.

She felt her stomach churning as he walked besides Esposito and he laughed, "Don't worry, unfortunately I wasn't the one to remove their clothes...they had their own fun in that cage of theirs all by themselves."

Esposito jerked harshly in his bounds and growled, "You idiot threw him in there with his soaked freezing clothes! He had hypothermia; I was keeping him warm."

Beckett didn't like the way that Anders was leaning into her partner's space, "Really? And just why did that require spooning? Just what else were you doing?"

Beckett noticed Espo's cheek blush a deep red as he started to stutter out an explanation (because he didn't really want the whole 12th to know how he kept his partner warm, thank you very much) before Ryan interrupted him around a harsh cough, "We were trying to decide who's scarier, you or Winnie the Pooh. Naturally, we agreed that Pooh's _much_ scarier then you could ever hope to be."

Anders' grip tightened on Espo's shoulder for a moment before he realized it and strode to Ryan's chair, Espo threatening him if he put a hand on his partner.

"You think you're so brave now? Because your little friends know where you are?" He laughed and looked down at the Irishman who was proudly holding his glare. "Well guess what? They know you're here on the island and they're back at the city most likely relaxing. Just waiting, _begging_ for me to end your pathetic little life already."

Ryan swallowed thickly and shook his head, "Didn't your mother ever tell you lying's a sin?"

Anders scoffed, "Don't talk to me about sins, Detective Ryan. Do you really think they want you back? Even if I didn't kill you, when you'd get back to them you wouldn't even remember who you are." His grin would have made the Grinch nauseous.

Beckett licked her lips nervously and instinctively curled into Castle's hold when Anders turned to the cart and hastily rummaged around the pile of tools. Only after a handful of seconds, but felt like hours, Anders finally pulled back and Beckett saw a knife tightly held in his grip.

"You know what, maybe I won't kill you. Maybe I'll break you and let you live the rest of your life as my slave. I'll beat it into you until you won't think twice about what I tell you to do. If I tell you to clean the floor with your tongue, you'll do it! If I say kneel, you're not gonna even gag once when you swallow! If I tell you I want a show, you two won't fucking hesitate." He laughed and twirled the knife in his hand.

"Then," He smiled, "I'll send you back to your little family. Have them try and fix you even though we all know, you two would be long gone. We've done it before, beating people into obedience. Man, _the things they did_." He shook his head as if he had recalled a memory.

"You must like hearing yourself talk." Beckett saw Esposito was trying to be strong, but she knew he was just as scared as everyone else. They weren't strangers to the people that suffered from torture, once so intellectual intellect before they were kidnapped and tortured within an inch of death.

Anders picked up on it too, though. "What's wrong Detective Esposito? I thought you were a big tough NYPD officer...well not so much right now since I had both your guns and badges." He pulled out two familiar gold chains with their badges attached and waved them slowly, "I mean, these are mine now...but I guess I could give you back _similar_ copies..."

His hand twirling the knife stopped as he lifted it closer to his face to inspect the sharpness of the blade, "Yes, this shall do."

Beckett could have cried, she didn't know exactly what he was going to do, but she had an idea.

"What are you doing?" Esposito tried to shuffle his chair backwards, but it remained where it was. Anders was kneeling besides the man with the knife raised, only inches from his left pectoral.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt at all...for me." He cackled before sticking the tip of the blade in his skin a few centimeters deep and dragged his slowly through his skin.

Beckett cringed when she saw Esposito visibly flinch and shift trying desperately to get away from the burning feeling in his chest.

Ryan's voice cracked pitifully as he violently coughed from his chair, but still was able to get his yells out, "Sto-op!" His shoulders shook as he coughed wetly as he hunched forwards, "I'm going to kill you...just wait and that knife will be in your damn heart."

"Don't worry, you'll be getting yours next." Anders smiled as he pulled the knife out of his skin, smiling at his crude carving of the NYPD shield and underneath 'NYPD' was also sliced.

Esposito looked down at it and grimaced, but said, "What, no badge number?"

Anders smirked and pressed his thumb harshly in the center of his slice, "Just wait, big boy, maybe I'll surprise you."

Esposito took four deep breaths, each splitting the skin painfully as his chest rose and fell. "Don't...touch...him...you...fu-"

"Why? I don't think it's fair that he doesn't get one. Why would you want to keep this to yourself?" He 'tsked' as he rose from his squat besides Espo.

Espo narrowed his eyes and deep down in his heart knew that no matter how much he yelled, he couldn't stop them from hurting his partner.

Beckett's heart broke when she watched Anders kneel in front of the shivering Ryan and Esposito immediately turned his head away after the first gasp of pain that Ryan made when the third side of the shield began to be sliced.

He handled it not much worse than Espo, his exhaustion both an advantage and disadvantage. He was too tired to continue to hiss in pain, but also too tired to hold a straight face instead pain clearly etching itself across his features.

When Anders finally stepped back from the Irishman, he heaved a pained sigh of relief. But the pain that ripped across his chest after a fit of coughing felt like someone was holding a flaming match to his skin. He had trouble catching his breath, both from his pneumonia and the pain that had him gasping as he leaned forwards as far as he could. He hacked up something that looked strangely like mucus mixed with speckles of blood into his lap; he really hoped Javi didn't see so he wouldn't worry.

Beckett didn't see the blood, but she knew he was coughing up something; he had aspiration pneumonia according to Lanie's observations. She looked over at Jenny to see how she was doing and saw she had silent tears pouring down her cheeks as she clutched her chest where Ryan's was sliced into like a pizza pie.

Castle couldn't believe what he was seeing, never during his unofficial work at the 12th did he ever see anything this bad happen to his team. This wasn't just another one of his books he could change the ending to, this was real life. He hated it.

Anders laughed and motioned to someone off the screen and soon Lester was standing by his side with a small can in his hand. "You see, Lester wanted in, but this just wasn't _painful_ enough. So he thought outside out of the box."

Castle groaned and said, "Haven't they gone through enough?" His voice was broken and so not Castle, if this were any other situation Beckett would have assumed something was wrong with him.

"We have to find them." Jenny cried into her hands; she hadn't cried this much since her Grandpa died.

"We will...we're close...they just, have to hang on." Beckett knew she was wrong, how could they possibly hold on when they were being tortured like this. And the others around him knew he was lying as well, but nobody said a word.

Back on the screen, Espo was currently bracing himself for the unbearable pain he would feel once Lester smeared the handful of salt on his open wound.

No matter how hard Espo tried to hold back a yell, but it couldn't be done. Between the salt and Lester's tough smearing and rubbing tore into his wound, it was too much. Lester let his hand drop 30 seconds later, but the pain was still prominent. His eyes were wide and sweat was beading down his forehead as he groaned and moaned.

He was in so much pain, he didn't even notice Lester move to Ryan now rubbing salt in the same manner as he did to him. Ryan's scream shattered his partner's heart because his throat was already sore from his constant coughing that it came out strangled.

The room was now filled with the stale smell of blood and the sounds of pained wheezing as Lester and Anders both laughed from their position. Anders looked at the camera and directed his question to Beckett and Castle, "Isn't this great? Just wait until I have them doing whatever I say; with just a simple order I could have 'em running naked around Times Square."

Beckett and Castle were surprised to hear Ryan's small voice through wheezes, "N-no."

Ander's laughter stopped as he turned to face the tear filled detective that dared to speak against him. "What did you just say to me?" He growled more than asked as he loomed over the shaking man.

Ryan bravely looked up with a strong shake of his head, it really didn't help with the nauseousness though and spat out at the man, "I will never do what you say; I'd rather shot myself in the head."

Anders raised his eyebrows, "Really? Well what if I told you to, say, suck my dick or else I'll shoot _your partner_ in the head." He released the safety on the glock he pulled from his waistband.

Ryan gave a weak laugh, but his glare stayed strong, "I'd tell you to go fuck yourself. You wouldn't shot him; it would end your fun."

Anders lowered his gun and shrugged his shoulders, "You're right." Ryan remained silent as Anders lowered back to Ryan's level. Before Ryan could protest, Anders leaned forward and swiftly smashed his lips onto Ryan's. Ryan pulled his head back as soon as he could with a disgusted face. "That's just a little preview." Anders smirked and his hands fell down to the Irishman's belt.

Ryan's eyes widened as Anders unloosed his belt buckle. He helplessly looked up at Espo who was staring wide eyed at the two before he looked over at the camera and did his best to jerk out of his grip.

When Anders kissed Ryan, Castle couldn't help the gag that came out. And when he went down to his belt, Castle saw Jenny turn around and for the first time while watching the videos she moved so she wouldn't see it. The rest of the precinct remained awkwardly quiet just waiting to see if Anders was really going to do what they all think he was about to do.

Anders stopped suddenly, looking up with a amused look on his face, "What, you think I was going to..." He opened his mouth wide and put it dangerously close to Ryan's crotch before pulling away with a haughty laugh. "Get over yourself, I wasn't going to blow you. I'm going to teach you to obey." He ended with a solum glare.

"You will learn to obey." He repeated as he undid Ryan's restraints tying him to the chair and threw him to the ground.

Ryan wasn't strong enough to hold himself up and fell on his chest with a gasp of pain as his cut was more than aggravated when it collided with the ground.

Anders smiled down at the beaten Irishman before gesturing to Lester and Espo, "Make sure he's watching; he needs to learn too."

"What are-" Espo was silenced by the sound of Anders snapping Ryan's belt together threateningly.

Anders leaned down and grabbed the handcuffs again to bind his arms above his head and his ankles together. Once he was satisfied that there was no way for Ryan with his strength to move, he stood back up with the belt held limply by his side.

"Your fag wanted a badge number? Tell me yours." He spat at Ryan holding the belt firmly now.

"You have my badge," Ryan coughed into to the floor, "So why don't you just look it up, asshole."

"I want to hear you say it." He gritted his teeth and put his foot on top of Ryan's shoulder blade that pressed his salt infected wound into the cement ground. "Tell. Me. Your. Badge. Number."

"No." Ryan gasped from the pain that was rapidly taking over his body.

"Lester." Anders said in an almost bored tone, but Lester reacted all the same and swiped another handful of salt across Espo's burning cut. A choked scream ripped through Esposito's throat and Ryan quickly nodded.

"42344!" Ryan turned his head uncomfortably to look over at his suffering partner. "Just stop, 42344."

Anders laughed, "I told you, you'd obey me. They always do in the end." He nodded approvingly and pet Ryan's greasy hair, "Good boy, now if you could say one digit at a time I'd really appreciate it."

Ryan closed his eyes and mumbled, "Four..."

"Louder, pet!"

"Four."

Anders grinned and whipped Ryan's back with as much force as he could a total of four times. Ryan pressed his face up against his shoulder to muffle the sound of his slight cries and whatever other sounds he made each time the leather belt connected to his back.

"Two." Ryan choked out trying his best to stay conscious after all the pain that every inch of his body was feeling.

Two whips.

"Th-three." He let out a shaky breath preparing for the next three blows even though it wouldn't help ease the pain at all.

He whipped him once and laughed, "Don't you think this is fun, Detective Esposito?"

"I'll take 'em," Esposito huffed past the pain in his chest and shook his head softly, "I'll take the whipping, just leave him alone."

"I know you're eager, but I don't do this for just anyone. I am more than just a pretty face, you know." He nodded and leaned back towards Ryan's face and swiped a thumb along his fat lip. Ryan scrunched his eyes closed, waiting for him to go back to the whip.

"Leave him alone, I'll kill you." Esposito eyed Lester as he poured another handful of salt.

Anders ignored Esposito and said to Ryan, "C'mon, I want another kiss. And then tonight I want to see what else you can do with that mouth."

Ryan growled and narrowed his eyes, "I can tell you to go to fucking hell."

"Ah, ah, ah, if I don't get a kiss, then your dear partner will get a wound full of salt again." Anders leaned in and his lips just barely brushed Ryan's before the Irishman slammed his cuffed hands into his head.

Anders fell back in shock holding his throbbing head. "You're gonna fucking regret that, bitch."

Even though Ryan was scared of what would happen next and he felt a violent coughing fit coming on, he held his head up high, "I'm not afraid of you."

"Oh, let's just see about that." Anders laughed and stood up. He waved Lester off, telling him to hold back with the salt before turning back to Ryan.

He smirked and flipped the belt, so the end coming in contact with his back was the end with the metal buckle. "Start over."

Ryan gritted his teeth, "Four." Four painful whips that felt like a knife was slicing up his back each time.

Anders yelled between each whip, "You will obey! You will do what I say! You're mine now! You will break!" He stopped and waited for Ryan to say the next digit.

"Two." Two more made Ryan's breathing heavy and labored.

Anders' shouting increased, but wasn't directed at Ryan, "Detective Beckett, Castle, he'll be gone." He laughed manically, "And this is all your fault!"

As Beckett and Castle watched they both felt tears falling down their faces even when Demming insisted that it wasn't their fault.

Jenny was half watching it, but mostly had her face hid in her hands. She just couldn't handle it anymore.

The next number from Ryan's mouth came out in a moan, "Th-three..."

Anders laughed and snapped the whip across his back three more times and three more welts joined the others. Most of the bleeding and bruising, Anders noted, proud of his work.

"Four." Ryan made the mistake of coughing and upsetting both his back and chest. He desperately tried to keep his eyes open because with them closed he wouldn't be able to remember through the pain that he wasn't actually being burned alive, it just felt like it.

"How does it feel?! You will suffer like this until I put a bullet in your brain!" He whipped four times and wasn't expecting Ryan to be able to stay conscious much longer.

"Really?" Ryan hated that he voice sounded so vulnerable and weak, "I think my suffering will stop when Castle and Beckett get here and put a bullet in _your_ brain." Ryan knew he hit a spot in Anders, the man hated that his two hostages still believed in their family. Because if they still believed in them, then he wasn't even close to breaking them.

And sure enough it did, "No! They're not coming! They left you here! Lester!" He screamed until he was blue in the face.

Lester approached Ryan's side and gave an expecting look at his boss, "Yes?"

Ryan didn't know what he was about to do, he couldn't see Anders motion for Lester so he was left anxiously waiting for the pain.

The pain was unbearable.

Seconds later, he felt a sprinkle of tiny things falling upon his back and it didn't really register in his mind until they seeped into his welts.

He coughed out a yell as the salt that Lester continued to pour draped itself across his open wounds. His screams weren't as loud or strong as Esposito's, his lungs not being able to hold much breath to scream out, but they were just as heart breaking.

It was only five seconds, but to everyone except Lester and Anders, it felt like years and Lester finally stopped pouring the salt and laughed, "There ya' go, boss."

Anders nodded and kicked Ryan's ribs, "Last number, boy. _Now_."

Ryan tried to say something along the lines of 'go fuck yourself', but all that came out was a pained groan. He couldn't even tell what was happening anymore, it took him a good two minutes to remember that he was being whipped by a physcopath.

Anders pressed his dirty boot on top of his back, "Answer me." The longer that Ryan didn't respond, the harder he pressed.

But Ryan tried to answer, he did, but he couldn't get past the pain. He was coughing, shivering and _sobbing_ at the same time.  
When he finally answered it was a tear filled cry, "F-Four!"

Anders laughed and the last four times decided to end with the hardest blows; each erupting a pitiful sob/cough from Ryan.

As they watched in the 12th, no one blamed him. Even though Ryan would assume he was now a joke to the other cops, he wasn't. Neither him nor Espo were a disgrace, they were strong and just what a cop should be. They have been mercilessly tortured for the past three days and haven't broken. If that wasn't strong then what was?

Beckett was proud of her boys and Castle was too, especially since he wouldn't have even given himself three days until he cried. He would have given himself one.

Jenny wasn't watching it anymore, she had moved to the break room right after the whipping started and she was sitting at the table trying to keep herself calm as she talked to Alexis on the phone about how Sarah Grace was doing.

Gates wasn't ashamed that two of her best men were seen like this, they were heroes in every meaning of the word. Hell, when they got back she'd probably give them months of paid leave. She was proud and the only time she was going to be more proud is the moment that Castle and Beckett (because she can't have anyone else do so) walk in there and save her men.

When Anders finally finished his lesson he threw the belt at Ryan and brushed his hands on his thighs, "We will do this everyday if I have to until you obey."

Ryan didn't even have the strength to tell him he couldn't wait as he laid on the cold, filthy, ground praying to God they'd be saved soon.

Esposito felt tears pouring down his own face, more salt stinging the wounds on his cheek just like Ryan no doubt.

Ryan felt like he had just been granted a miracle when Anders said, "Put 'em back in the cage. We're done for today. No food, no water. They need to learn."

Beckett and Castle both sighed in relief, supporting each other as they leaned into one another as they watched Anders walk away from Ryan. Lester undid Esposito's chains and let him stand before pushing him to the ground besides his partner. "Carry him in." Lester ordered. "And don't think about trying anything, with your partner like that you won't make it far."

Castle felt his heart breaking as he watched Espo try and comfort his partner, but not seeing any place that wasn't going to cause immense pain when he put his hand down on it.

Espo settled on the back of his head and neck and he ran his fingers soothingly up and down. "It's okay, bro, no more. Let's get you in there and I'll let you rest, okay?"

"Sorry, Javi. Didn't mean to make him salt you." Ryan mumbled as he tried to put words together to make sense.

"Don't. Not 'll be okay." He looked over Ryan's body trying to find a good spot to pick him up. He'd have to hold him over his shoulder; it was the only way to avoid his back injuries as best as he could. He slowly lifted his partner off the ground and looked directly into the camera and said, "They're coming. We both know it, Castle and Beckett would _never_ leave us here, bro. We'll never stop believing in them."

"I know, they'll probably be here tomorrow." Kevin whispered as he rested his head against Espo's shoulder.

Espo smiled still looking into the camera, "I wouldn't doubt it."

Beckett's teeth gritted when she watched as Lester shoved them away into a dark room and Anders came back on the screen and said, "Until tomorrow." Before he shut the camera off.

Gates was the first to speak once it went black, "Don't think I wouldn't catch up on it. There's a rat in their precinct and I want to know who." She was so pissed that there wasn't even an accurate word to describe her right now. "That means this rat knows where those two are, and I will find out who you are. You will not only leave the force, but you will be just as much to blame as those two for attempted murder." She eyed each and every officer around her. "So I suggest if you know anything, speak up now."

The room remained quiet as Beckett stood up and spoke with the tone she used to intimate murders, not that the person she was speaking to was any less of one, "Hear me clearly when I say this, I will kill you. Everything that those two are going through, you will and a hundred times worse. Unless you tell me where they are, then I'll just kill you." Beckett's hands clenched into fists.

Castle stood firmly at her side, one hand on the small of her back, "I couldn't have said it better myself, Detective Beckett."

Beckett narrowed her eyes as the precinct remained silent. She huffed and turned to Gates, "I want those videos burned to a disc. I'm tracing it from Castle's loft. I can't trust anyone here."

Gates pitched the bridge of her nose, "Okay, okay, I'll keep an eye out but I want to see you in my office first."

Beckett nodded and followed Gates after she ordered an officer to burn the videos and now. Beckett stood anxiously in front of the desk with Castle by her side.

"Who knew about that trip you took?" Gates asked pulling out a piece of paper and pen getting ready to write down names.

"Only Officer Demming, Sir, but it wasn't him. Someone must have overheard." Beckett couldn't believe that Demming was the rat, he just couldn't be.

"I understand he is a friend, Detective, but no friend is greater than those two and I must check out _every_ lead possible to help bring them home. We cannot overestimate anyone right now."

"Yes, I understand, Captain." Beckett hated that they couldn't trust anyone around them. "Castle and I will be in his loft. I want to try and track down where it was recorded." She closed her eyes and swallowed thickly, "R-Ryan showed me how to once, I think I can do it again."

Gates nodded, "If you need assistance, I'm just a call away and I'll figure out something."

Beckett and Castle both thanked her before they walked put of her office and walked out to their desks to see Jenny going through Esposito's drawers.

"Jenny, we're gonna finish this at the loft..." Beckett rubbed her arm and watched as the blonde rubbed her thumb over a small picture of Esposito and Ryan a little tipsy at one of Castle's parties; Ryan had a bright smile on his face and was leaning into his partner while Espo was in the midst of sipping his beer.

She pocketed the picture and nodded before following the two out of the bullpen. Every officer's eyes were on them as they walked to the elevator, sympathy and misery all over their faces.

"We're going to find them. Tonight." Beckett nodded determinedly.

Espo growled at the door as it shut, leaving him and Ryan alone in the room. Immediately, Espo leaned over Ryan, "Are you okay? Ryan look at me!"

Ryan opened his eyes tiredly, "Javi, I was lying, I can't do this again tomorrow. I just want it to end." He coughed pitifully and brought his hands up to wipe tears from his face.

Espo felt his own set of tears falling down, he couldn't let Ryan break now; they were so close to being saved. "Kevin, no we're getting out. I'm not losing you. Hold on, damn it!" He cupped Ryan's cheeks looking him in the eyes.

Ryan turned his head out of his partner's loose grip to cough into his shoulder, "It hurts."

"I'll help," Espo said quickly grabbing Ryan's discarded shirt off the floor. It wasn't as wet as it had been last night, but it was better than nothing. He quickly raised it to Ryan's back and began to wipe his back gently.

Whenever he passed over the bleeding parts, Ryan would hiss in pain, and he blindly reached out to grab Esposito's hand in his squeezing it slightly.

Esposito squeezed back and once he finished with Ryan's back he moved to the cut on his chest, making sure to be much more careful with the deep slices.

"Y-you need it too, Javi." Ryan whispered as he shut his eyes trying to block out all the pain.

"After I finish you." Espo said wiping the cut again, even though blood just seeped out again. They'd both need stitches, Espo knew, but there wasn't really anything they could do but wait.

"Hey Kev?" Espo whispered as he finished up the best he could do.

"Yeah?"

"Can you promise me something?" He didn't wait for Kevin to agree before he continued, "Don't break, please, I don't want to lose you. I wouldn't be able to live without you and when we're rescued, I want you to get better. Just hold on," He repeated.

Kevin eyed him for a moment before nodding with a sigh, "Promise." He offered his partner smile that brightened his abused face and raise Espo's hope slightly. Because they were getting of this alive; there wasn't a doubt in his mind.


End file.
